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JOHNSTON PRINTING CO., PUBLISHERS 
416*418 JACKSON STREET 
DALLAS. TEXAS 
1910 




COPYRIGHT, 1910 
BY 

GUY H. WILSON 


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©CIA283243 


Father and Mother 


ALL CHRISTIANS, ALL BOYS AND GIRLS WHO ARE 
SEARCHING FOR THE “BEAUTIFUL REDEEMED 
LIFE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST,” IS THIS 
LITTLE BOOK DEDICATED BY 
THE AUTHOR. 






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PREFACE. 


Dear Reader: 

This little volume owes its origin 
to a two-fold purpose — the wish of 
the writer to add to our literature 
a work at once instructive and at- 
tractive, and a higher purpose than 
this, namely : to place before the 
reader the great beauty and happi- 
ness of a Christian life and to point 
the way to perfect peace and re- 
demption through the scarlet blood 
of a crucified Savior. 

The reader of this volume will 
readily discover the underlying cur- 
rent of conviction that controls the 
daily life of the principal character 
of this book, and the life-long, liv- 
ing principle that, like a guiding 
star, beckoned him on to a higher 
and nobler life from the time he be- 
came a Christian. 

9 


He is a real character, and this 
book will be in the unique form of a 
history of his life to the present time 
and a prophecy as to what his future 
life will be. 

He is one of a choice group which 
can always be found in this world’s 
daily life. They seem to be farther 
ahead and on a higher plane than 
the multiplied multitude that have 
never felt the hidden life that is 
Christ-like. 

Of course, his real name, as also 
the real name of places, are withheld 
and fictitious names inserted. 

If this little volume can help some 
boy or girl, and possibly a mother 
or father, to a realization of the in- 
finite beauty of a Christian life; to 
discern that the high arts are, after 
all, not the real beautiful soul, but 
an adornment, then the author will 
feel that his labor has not been in 
vain. Guy H. Wilson. 


10 


CHAPTER I. 

INTRODUCTION. 

God, in His infinite wisdom, when 
He created man, placed within his 
heart a sense of beauty; an intense 
longing for things beautiful. 

There is something in the splash- . 
ing brook or rushing sweep of ma- 
jestic rivers that has appealed to 
man’s love of the beautiful ever since 
the world was created. 

On beholding the Rhine, with its 
jnany historic castles and fruitful vine- 
yards; the Rhone, as it sweeps across 
the beautiful fields of France from 
its mountain home ; the blue Danube, 
in all its wild splendor; the grand 
Mississippi, as it sweeps across a 
continent, carrying death and de- 
struction, as well as beauty, in its 
journey to the sea — all these kindle 
the imagination and sense of beauty 
of artist and poet alike. 

11 


His Beautiful Life 


John, the inspired writer, was 
thrilled by the sight of a beautiful 
river; but it was not such a river 
as I have written of, not an earthly 
river; but it was the river of the 
water of life, flowing from the 
throne of God through the Astral 
City. 

An angel had appeared to him and 
conducted him to the pinnacle of a 
high mountain and in a vision 
showed him the New Jerusalem in 
all its beauty; around the city was a 
wall with strong towers, and pierced 
with twelve pearly gates, at each of 
which an angel stood guard. 

This city was built of pure gold; 
the walls were of precious stones and 
the gates were of pearl. 

Over this beautiful city the mantle 
of night had never spread, but the 
light from God bathed its holy streets 
forever, and this river of the water 
of life proceeded straight from God’s 
throne and was lined on each side 


12 


His Beautiful Life 

by beautiful trees, whose foliage cast 
their cooling shadow upon the banks 
of the stream. 

This was the city of heavenly de- 
light, the home for which every god- 
ly heart is longing, the empire of 
peace and love. 

We should thank God that 
through the inspired writer He has 
given us this glimpse of this eternal 
city in all its golden glory and maj- 
esty; and that He has placed within 
the borders of heaven the pure river 
of water of life, from which we may 
all drink and live forever. 

You have doubtless read how 
that valiant old Spaniard, DeLeon, 
searched through the tangled wilder- 
ness and treacherous everglades of 
Florida in his vain search for the 
mysterious fountain whose waters 
would, he thought, restore lost 
youth and beauty, and died &t last a 
defeated and disappointed old man, 
because, instead of looking to God 

13 


His Beautiful Life 


* 


and trusting in the healing proper- 
ties of the heavenly fountain, he 
looked on earth for this healing 
balm. 

But when- our labor on this earth 
is ended and we walk upon the gold- 
en strand of the heavenly river that 
proceeds out of the throne of God, 
our staff shall be laid aside, our 
wrinkled face shall be made smooth 
and fair, our failing eyes shall 
sparkle with renewed brightness, and 
God will clothe our old age with all 
the beautiful attributes of immortal 
youth. 

Sometimes, while we wander aim- 
lessly on this earth, we encounter 
drouths, and we become weary and 
thirsty, and in our heart there is a 
longing for something earth cannot 
supply; but when the battle is won 
and we pitch our silken tents on the 
banks of this beautiful river we shall 
never feel weary or be thirsty, for 
our Savior will welcome us there and 


14 


His Beautiful Life 


will lead us to the fountain of living 
water which will quench our thirst 
forever. 

Some of us have thirsted for edu- 
cation, but even after we have all the 
knowledge it is possible for man to 
acquire, still these fountains of 
knowledge fail to quench our long- 
ings and our desires. 

Some of us have thirsted for fame 
and honor, but the praise of this 
earth runs shallow, and from its un- 
certain flow we turn away disap- 
pointed. 

Some of us have thirsted for 
wealth, but the silvery music fur- 
nished by the glittering coins will 
not quench our thirst, and to-mor- 
row the glittering heap that now 
lies before us may be carried away 
by the outgoing tide and we will be 
left stranded on the barren desert. 

But here is a river that never runs 
dry, a river that will quench our 
thirst and stop our longings. 

15 


His Beautiful Life 


When the streams of life have 
vanished, and the thundering moun- 
tain stream no longer plunges 
through its rocky channel, and from 
our death-bed we catch a last fleet- 
ing glimpse of the perishing things 
of earth, then we will realize how 
wonderfully sweet is this water of 
life. 

The boy whose life we shall re- 
cord in this book, early learned the 
sweetness and life-giving properties 
of this river and from earth’s foul 
and turbulent stream he turned away 
to drink from this clear, pure stream, 
which, thank God, can never be pol- 
luted by earth’s sin and vice. 


16 


CHAPTER II. 

DONALD MORRIS. 

A long line of hills, crested with 
tall pines, stand out, bold and irreg- 
ular, against the blue sky. 

Here a tiny stream meanders 
along, now swerving around the foot 
of a hill, now leaping a miniature 
waterfall, and at last crosses a small 
plain to enter into a larger stream, 
which, in turn, unites with a still 
larger stream, whose waters are, at 
last, swept out into the grand Mis- 
sissippi. 

Back from this line of hills, out 
across a level plain, rises a single 
elevation, standing solemn and dig- 
nified by itself. 

Tall and majestic pines lift their 
tops heavenward, and whose wind- 
stirred branches seem to ever reach 
out their hands to some invisible 
God. 


17 


His Beautiful Life 


Crowning this elevation was a 
home ; not a mansion by any means, 
but just a modest little country 
home. 

But to the person whose heart 
warms to the call of nature, who 
opens his eyes to the beauties God 
intended him to see, there is some- 
thing about this quiet home nestling 
among the pines and backgrounded 
by this long line of hills, that will 
cause him to stop, sweep the scene 
with admiring eyes and admit that 
there is rare beauty in the picture. 

From the vine-covered porch to 
the curiously constructed old build- 
ing and the spring at the foot of the 
hill, with its quaint curb, there was 
something about the old place that 
held a charm for every one who vis- 
ited the place. 

In this beautiful Mississippi home 
lived Robert Morris and his young 
wife. 


18 


His Beautiful Life 


Robert Morris was one of the 
foremost young men in the county. 

He came of a family that could 
trace its ancestry back into the old 
English and colonial days and could 
boast that his great-grandfather was 
one of the distinguished factors of 
the Revolution and was a signer of 
the Declaration of Independence. 

Lillie Davis was one of the most 
beautiful young ladies in the coun- 
try; the oldest daughter of a dis- 
tinguished physician, she was loved 
and honored by all who knew her. 

When Robert Morris wooed and 
won her, every one admitted that it 
was a most excellent and happy 
match. 

Shortly after the marriage the 
happy couple moved to the country 
home given Robert by his father. 

This was the place we have de- 
scribed and was the birthplace and 
boyhood home of Robert Morris and, 
as a consequence, the broad and fer- 

19 


His Beautiful Life 


tile acres, the valleys and forest-cov- 
ered hills were prized very highly 
by its young owner. 

Robert Morris and Lillie were 
married the first of January, and as 
Robert was by choice a farmer, early 
in the spring he began to prepare 
his land to make his first crop. 

After the day’s work was done 
they would sit by the fire talking of 
their happiness and planning out 
their future lives. 

One evening as they sat about the 
fire Lillie said: “Robert, have you 
been perfectly happy since we mar- 
ried; have you found me to be all 
you expected?” 

“Yes, dear,” he said; “I have 
found you to be all I expected, and 
more, and as for being happy, you 
know I have been. There is only 
one thing that I could ask for that 
would add to our happiness, and 
that is to be blest with sweet chil- 
dren.” 


20 


His Beautiful Life 


“Ah, Robert, that was exactly 
what I was thinking of! If God 
will only trust us with children I 
think our happiness will be com- 
plete.” 

Robert Morris and his wife be- 
longed to that class of people who 
believe in a God, who believe that 
some Supreme Being rules over all. 

Both were church members and 
belonged to the Methodist Church, 
but they were not devoted Chris- 
tians; that is, they did not follow 
the Christ life in their daily life as 
it should be followed. 

Upon the child that God was to 
give them was to fall the power to 
lead them to the man of Galilee and 
to live the Christ-life, the life that 
is above reproach. 

Spring, with its beautiful flowers 
and singing birds, soon glided into 
golden summer — summer, beautiful 
summer, such as can be found in the 
country, away from the mad rush of 

21 


His Beautiful Life 


the city, with its noise and din ; out 
in the country, where we can catch 
the cooling breeze and watch the sun 
in all its golden glory as it climbs 
across the sky and finally sinks to 
rest in a flaming bed of purple and 
gold. 

Here we can get closer to God and 
nearer to the heart of nature in all 
its beauty, and can understand bet- 
ter the mysterious power of God in 
all its beauty. 

Robert Morris did his work well, 
and at the end of summer he saw 
his labor rewarded by a bounteous 
supply of golden grain. 

Summer passed away and au- 
tumn, with its golden-tinted forests, 
appeared only to be cast aside, after 
a short time, by winter, with its snow 
and ice. And now, during the first 
winter month, the month in which 
our Savior was bom, when the 
ground was covered by a white 
mantle of snow, the news was spread 

22 


His Beautiful Life 


over the community that Lillie Mor- 
ris had given birth to a tiny son. 

We must now skip over a space 
of ten years. 

During this period of time the 
baby boy had been named Donald. 

He was now a sturdy lad, very 
much like his father in many ways, 
with dark eyes and hair as black as 
a raven’s wing. 

His parents were very careful in 
his training and, as a consequence, 
he was a very gentlemanly and cour- 
teous boy, always considerate of 
other people’s feelings and wishes. 

He had, however, a very hot tem- 
per which would occasionally get 
from under his control. 

When his anger would arise a few 
well chosen words of advice from 
his mother, together with her sweet 
smile was all that was needed to 
clear away his anger and make him 
his own bright, happy self again. 

23 


His Beautiful Life 


He was very happy in his beautiful 
home but the time has now come 
when he must leave it. 

Wonderful stories have come 
from Louisiana; stories of the won- 
derful chances and advantages there 
and of how men were getting rich 
raising rice. 

Mr. Morris decided to sell his 
beautiful home and try his fortune 
in the rice fields of Southern Louis- 
iana. 

Accordingly his place was adver- 
tised, sold and family was ready to 
start. 

It was a very sad occasion for all 
when the time to start came and with 
sad hearts they boarded the train 
for their new home. 


24 


CHAPTER III. 

THE AWAKENING. 

Donald never had been on a train 
but once before and he found many 
things to keep him interested. 

# He had never seen a large city and 
when they got to New Orleans he 
was astonished. 

It was a few days before Christ- 
mas and the city was ablaze with 
decorations and beautiful lights. 

As they were whirled through the 
streets of the city towards the river 
where they were to cross on a boat, 
Donald kept his eyes on the beauti- 
ful scene around him and it made 
a picture on his mind that could nev- 
er be erased. 

Reaching the boat, they got upon 
it at once and standing by the rail- 
ing saw the boat moving out from 
shore. 


25 


His Beautiful Life 


It was at night and the waters 
looked strangely dull and leaden un- 
der the light of the pale moon. 

Standing by the rail and looking 
through the mist and darkness to- 
ward the lights of Gretna, Donald 
wondered at the power needed to 
gather these heaving waters togeth- 
er and thought of the awfulness 6f 
these sluggish waters being the grave 
of many a poor mortal. 

A train was waiting for the boat 
to land its passengers and as soon 
as these were on board it steamed 
away westward on its journey to- 
ward the distant plains. 

Throwing its headlight far in ad- 
vance like a meteor upon the shining 
rails, it writhed and groaned like 
a huge serpent as it flashed along. 

In the faint shadows of early 
morning, while the eastern sky was 
still streaked with yellow and gold 
the horizon of a plain appeared in 
view and an hour later the train 

26 


His Beautiful Life 


drew up to the station where the 
Morrises were to get off. 

The sun casting his early beams 
upon the earth, seemed to smile in 
gladness and Donald, looking out 
across the broad plain to where it 
ended in a blue haze, thought he 
had never seen anything so glorious 
before and indeed it was a most 
beautiful scene. 

They started out immediately to 
the farm which Robert had arranged 
for through ail agent. 

By the end of a week they were 
comfortably installed in their new 
home, and, as Donald said, were get- 
ting things “shipshape” and business 
began to take on its daily routine. 

Robert purchased a full team of 
horses, including a very pretty pony 
for Donald, which he was very fond 
of. 

There was no work about making 
a rice crop which a boy of Donald’s 

2 7 


His Beautiful Life 


size could do so he was free to do 
pretty much what he pleased. 

He helped his mother a great deal 
about the house, taking much work 
off her shoulders. 

Sometimes he would mount his 
pony and gallop across the yellow 
prairie to give chase to a drove of 
wild French ponies, or on a round- 
up of his father’s horses and once 
a week he would make a trip to the 
nearest town to get their mail. 

He would stroll by the side of 
some stream or loiter in the cooling 
shade of a giant haystack and give 
himself up to thought and the 
thought of the beatiful home he had 
left never failed to come into his 
mind, but he was happy here, su- 
premely happy, and for three long 
years he dreamed the time away. 

And now came the time when his 
dreams were again to be shattered. 

Mr. Morris thought he could fore- 
see a panic in the rice industry. Pros- 

28 


His Beautiful Life 


perous times brought on much specu- 
lation and buying and he thought 
he could tell that the price of rice 
was to be considerably lowered. 

He had made money in those 
three years and he decided to leave 
the country before the panic came 
and then it was that Robert Morris 
again determined to turn his face 
westward and search out a new 
home in the fertile lands of Texas. 

We must, begging the reader’s 
pardon, again draw forward the 
curtain of time and blot out five 
years time, because in this period 
nothing occurred in this boy’s life 
that would interest the reader and 
we wish to get down to his real 
history as quickly as possible. 

During this time the Morris fam- 
ily have firmly established them- 
selves in their Texas home. 

Donald had studied hard and pre- 
pared himself to teach school and 
now at the age of eighteen he had 

29 


Iiis Beautiful Life 


taught one school with a success 
that would have been a credit to a 
much older teacher, yet there was 
lacking in his teaching something 
that is always lacking in the leach- 
ing of the man who does not trust 
in God and call upon Him for His 
divine guidance in his school and 
every day life. 

Donald had been taught to pray 
ever since he was a small child and 
never failed to kneel at night and 
offer up his little prayer, but it was 
merely a form with him and not 
true devotion, for he had never giv- 
en the matter hardly a thought and 
did not, of course, appreciate the 
existence of a God. 

There was a church near his home 
and he attended services and Sunday 
school regularly. 

About this time he began to think 
on this question a great deal and be- 
came a student of the Bible, for he 
began to realize that there must be 

30 


His Beautiful Life 

something in this wonderful salva- 
tion which the Son of God had prom- 
ised and which men were preaching 
everywhere. 

He was beginning to see and to 
believe that there must be some foun- 
dation for this belief in a future life 
rmd the glory of sharing it with an 
all-wise God. 

W hat then, was this foundation ; 
where did men get the basis for their 
belief? 

Undoubtedly it must be from 
God’s holy word, the Bible; and if 
it was, it was right to follow His 
teachings; if not right, why did so 
many men make the mistake of think- 
ing it was right and blindly wor- 
ship an imaginary God? 

These questions became an all- 
absorbing issue with him and he de- 
termined that he would settle them 
satisfactorily with himself if it was 
in the power of God’s Word to give 

31 


His Beautiful Life 


him the information necessary to 
their settlement. 

Accordingly he read all the books 
he could get dealing with the sub- 
ject, including several books on de- 
nominational matters and also stud- 
ied the Scriptures constantly. 


32 


CHAPTER IV. 

THE NEW LIFE. 

It is summer again and a big 
meeting is going on at the church 
near Donald’s home. 

A big arbor has been built to ac- 
commodate the large crowds which 
come to hear the Word of God 
preached. 

The pastor, Brother Parker, was 
assisted by a preacher from a neigh- 
boring county, Brother Ratcliffe, 
and under their powerful influence 
and preaching, numbers were daily 
giving up the life of sin and casting 
their lot with Christ. 

Donald had been deeply interest- 
ed from the very first. He never 
missed a service; always sat at the 
front where he could catch every 
word that was spoken and it was 
plain that each sermon was sinking 
deep within his heart. 

33 


His Beautiful Life 


One day after being more deeply 
impressed than usual with the ser- 
mon he went home in a deep study, 
thinking of what he should do. 

When he got home he picked up 
his Bible which his mother had giv- 
en him for a Christmas present, and 
started for the woods. 

He felt that he wanted to be alone 
in the forest where he could read 
and think undisturbed in its soli- 
tude. He wanted to think today as 
he had never thought before. 

He flung himself down under a 
giant oak and prepared to read. The 
leaves parted mechanically at the 
eighth chapter of Romans. 

These words caught his eyes : 
“There is therefore no condemna- 
tion to them which are in Christ 
Jesus, who walk not after the flesh 
but after spirit. 

“For the law of the Spirit of life 
in Christ Jesus hath made me free 
from the law of sin and death. 


34 


His Beautiful Life 


‘Tor what the law could not do, 
in that it was weak through the 
flesh, God sending his own Son in 
the likeness of sinful flesh, and for 
sin, condemned sin in the flesh. 

“That the righteousness of the 
law might be fulfilled in us, who 
walk not after the flesh, but after 
the Spirit.” 

The words seemed to have a hid- 
den meaning and he read them over 
repeatedly, trying to think out their 
full meaning. 

Suddenly, after thinking awhile, 
he seemed to understand what it all 
meant and he said to himself, “Ah, 
it is plain to me now.” 

“God was under no obligation to 
send his Son to light the pathway 
of sinners on this cruel and sinful 
world. 

“This way of salvation was simply 
ordained at the hands of the great 
Mediator and had to be carried out 
for if there had been any other way 

35 


His Beautiful Life 


in which to save man, I believe that 
God, of such infinite wisdom, would 
have employed other means instead 
of sacrificing His only Son to the 
passions of an unsaved people, and 
since Christ took upon his should- 
ers the burden of trying to save 
those who were wandering in the 
darkness of sin, he also had to take 
the punishment which the sin of 
those he was seeking to save de- 
served. 

“They had sinned against God ; 
Christ came to save them; He took 
the sinners’ place and bore the pun- 
ishment that should have been meted 
out to them. 

“He bore this suffering and the 
disgrace which was heaped upon 
him for me as much as he did for 
those people who lived when He 
was on this earth ; He loves me the 
same as he did those people, and I 
have rewarded His love by a selfish, 
sinful life. 


36 


His Beautiful Life 


“May God have mercy and for- 
give me of my sins.” 

He read farther down the page 
and these words caught his eye: 
“For to be carnally minded is 
death : but to be spiritually minded 
is life and peace.” 

He understood this clearly. If 
he was carnally minded, if he sought 
after the carnal things of earth, it 
meant an eternal death; but, if he 
cast off carnal things and followed 
in the spiritual way, it meant ever- 
lasting life and joy with God. 

After reading all of the eighth 
chapter of Romans, he chanced to 
turn to the thirteenth chapter of first 
Corinthians. 

Ah! Here was another very es- 
sential element — charity ; but he did 
not have this charity; did not pos- 
sess this element at all. 

He set himself to the task of a 
rigid self-examination, and at the 
end of it he had to acknowledge that 

37 


His Beautiful Life 


lie had loved neither God nor man, 
and that every thing he had ever 
done or accomplished had been due 
to his own selfish ambition without 
any thought or consideration of 
others. 

He seemed to see the enormity of 
his sins rise before him like a spec- 
tre, and he was unnerved and agitat- 
ed. 

He knew there could be no rest 
for him now until he had received 
this wonderful salvation, the thought 
of which was making his soul tur- 
bulent within him. 

He would seek God with all his 
might and if his many sins could 
be forgiven him, he would devote 
the remainder of his life to the ser- 
vice of his God. 

With his mind in this condition, 
with this intense desire burning 
within him, yet without praying, 
Donald slowly retraced his steps to 
the house. 


38 


His Beautiful Life 


It may seem strange to the read- 
er why, when this boy came to a re- 
alization of what he should do, that 
God did not reveal himself and 
spread the light of his salvation 
upon him then and there, but He 
undoubtedly had a purpose in wait- 
ing and ordained it otherwise. 

On this very day God would re- 
veal Himself to this boy who was 
sick of sin and who was seeking 
peace for his troubled soul. 

That night the pastor took as his 
text the thirty-sixth verse of the 
eighth chapter of St. Mark: “For 
what shall it profit a man, if lie shall 
gain the whole world, and lose his 
own soul.” 

The pastor was a man of educa- 
tional attainment and he preached 
an eloquent sermon, bringing out ev- 
ery point of the text and it seemed 
to Donald that this text and sermon 
was especially for him. 

39 


His Beautiful Life 


He sat with bowed head during 
the first of the sermon, but present- 
ly he raised his head, and those who 
were watching him, supposing that 
a struggle between right and wrong 
was going on within his soul, saw 
a radiant smile upon his face and a 
new light shining from his eyes, and 
did not doubt but what that as lie 
sat with bowed head he had prayed 
for salvation that night and that he 
was now one of the blood-washed 
throng, his prayer being answered. 

At the close of the sermon, the 
pastor opened the door of the church 
to any one who might wish to unite 
with the church. 

Donald at once arose and, with 
the eyes of the congregation upon 
him, walked forward and presented 
himself for membership. 

He faced the congregation and 
with a voice trembling with emotion, 
said, “Dear friends, tonight is the 
happiest moment of my life; I feel 

40 


His Beautiful Life 


tonight that I have been with the 
blessed Master and that He has bid 
me come to Him. I am tired of sin 
and its way and want to give my 
heart and my work to God. I have 
had many doubts as to my duty, but 
now I know that my duty is to my 
God. 

“I wish to unite with the Metho- 
dist church, for I believe I can serve 
God better by uniting with your 
church, and I will be following the 
dictates of my conscience. 

“Dear friends, if you are willing, 
I want to cast my lot with you and 
in my humble way begin working for 
by blessed Redeemer.” 

When he finished speaking and 
sat down there was hardly a dry eye 
in the congregation ; it was not so 
much what he had said, but the way 
he said it that touched and moved all 
hearts. 

He was received and baptized im- 
mediately and the hand of Christian 

41 


His Beautiful Life 


greeting was extended amid great re 
joicing. 

As the pastor baptized him in the 
name of the Father, Son and Holy 
Spirit, Donald felt a great weight 
lifted from his weary soul. 

He seemed to feel God’s presence 
upon him and he sent up an earnest 
prayer that he might be led in the 
path of all righteousness and be kept 
from all sin forevermore. 

His father and mother came for- 
ward and leaning their heads against 
his shoulder, wept with joy while 
the congregation sung : 

“Oh happy day that fixed my choice 
On Thee, my Savior and my God; 
Well may this glowing heart, rejoice 
And tell its raptures all abroad.” 


42 


CHAPTER V. 


WORKING FOR CHRIST. 

We must now leave this sacred 
place. 

But in five years we will witness 
another scene here just as sacred, 
around which clusters all the glory 
which heaven gives earth in answer 
tc a devoted Christian’s prayer. 

Donald Morris went home that 
night as happy as he wished to be. 
The unbeliever and unconsecrated 
Christian knows nothing of the joy 
that crowns such a life and the hap- 
piness that fills the souls in the Chris- 
tian home where such a devoted son 
sheds his hallowed influence. 

As Donald rode home that night 
with his father and mother he talk- 
ed incessantly about his new joy and 
great happiness. 

The stars, looking down from 
their great heights, seemed to shine 

43 


His Beautiful Life 


with renewed brightness and to re- 
joice in his happiness with him. 

Before retiring that night Don- 
ald told his father and mother he 
wished to hold prayer regularly 
thereafter and wished to begin that 
night. 

Accordingly he got his Bible and 
opening it, read the seventeenth 
chapter of St. John, after which they 
knelt together and Donald prayed 
earnestly for them to be delivered 
from error’s chain and to be led in 
the path of righteousness forever- 
more. 

Reader have you ever stood on 
holy ground like this? Has your 
heart ever been touched by that in* 
visible hand that leaves such a mys* 
tic influence? 

If you have not, may God pity 
you. 

If you have you know something 
of that indescribable joy which mark- 

44 


His Beautiful Life 


ed that scene when they arose from 
prayer. 

With a face radiant with joy Don- 
ald said, “I feel so happy tonight. 
It seems like I can almost see and 
feel the presence of the blessed Sav- 
ior tonight and I know He heard my 
prayer and will answer it.” 

I think the angels in heaven must 
have looked down on that scene with 
joy and that their joyful anthems 
must have echoed throughout the 
beautiful sunlit streets and temples 
of the new Jerusalem because this 
boy had entered into the Christ life 
in such a glorious way. 

Oh! that we could all have the 
faith and the trusting nature of this 
boy. 

If we could, then what a happy old 
world this would be, for if all God’s 
people lived as they should, in fear 
and reverence of Him, then this 
earth would be a heaven, a dream- 
45 


His Beautiful Life 


land itself, and we would not know 
the sorrows that afflict us here. 

We may wrangle and dispute 
about what is right and which 
church is right and whether we are 
saved by grace or through works, 
and all these things ; gray-haired stu- 
dents may do this, I say, and still 
be farther from the kingdom, far- 
ther from God and Christ than this 
boy, who put his trust so completely 
in the hands of Him who ruleth over 
the destiny of all. 

A few Sundays later a prayer- 
meeting was organized at the church 
and was to be held at ten o’clock 
each Sunday morning. 

It was announced by one of the 
brethren that the next Sunday morn- 
ing the prayer-meeting would be 
started and that Donald would con- 
duct the service. 

Of course every one was eager 
for the time to come for they want- 

46 


His Beautiful Life 


eel to see how he would appear in 
this new work. 

He was well thought of by every 
one and was a general favorite in 
his community for his truthfulness, 
honesty and straightforward manner 
won the confidence and esteem of all 
with whom he came in contact, and 
it was hoped that he would hold an 
impressive service, for the older peo- 
ple saw a chance to get at the other 
young people through him. 

Of course some few came out of 
idle curiosity just to see how he 
would “perform.” 

Promptly at ten o’clock Sunday 
morning the crowd was assembled, 
and with his Bible in his hand Don- 
ald arose and faced the congregation. 

Looking at the faces before him 
impressively for a moment he said, 
“Dear friends, I stand before you 
today in a new role. You have 
known me a number of years. You 
know my character, and when I tell 


His Beautiful Life 


you today that I am a different boy 
to what I have been, that I intend 
to stand for God and right from now 
on, I hope you will believe me and 
I hope, also, that I may have your 
good wishes and your prayers that 
I may ever continue in this way.” 

He then read a part of the twenty- 
sixth chapter of The Acts of The Ap- 
postles, including the twenty-eighth 
and twenty-ninth verses. 

When he had finished reading he 
laid his Bible on the stand and said, 
“Agrippa’s case was very much like 
my own, I find. Many times in my 
life I have felt I was almost saved. 

“Many times have I heard a ser- 
mon that would make me cry out 
to myself, ‘almost thou persuadest 
me to be a Christian,’ but something 
would seem to whisper to me, ‘Not 
vet,’ and I would let each glorious 
opportunity pass. 

“Friends, is there not something 
in these few words that apply to 
nearly every one of us? 

48 


His Beautiful Life 


“When I read this it seems to me 
I can see clearly Paul, that noble ser- 
vant of God, in chains and bonds, 
standing before this king pleading 
earnestly. 

“Was he pleading to be delivered 
of his chains and be set at liberty? 
No! Standing there before King 
Agrippa, he forgot himself ; forgot 
his condition and only thought of 
the fact that before him sat one of 
God’s children who was deep in the 
mire of sin but whose soul longed 
for the peace and quiet of the re- 
ligion which Paul enjoyed and pos- 
sessed. 

“He pleaded not for himself but 
for God and his cause until this 
king stretched forth his hands and 
these words came forth from the 
depth of his soul, ‘Almost thou per- 
suadest me to be a Christian.’ I can 
hear that yearning cry today; per- 
haps you have heard it yourself and 
like Paul I would to God that all 


49 


His Beautiful Life 


who hear me today might be as I am 
and know the joy and happiness I 
know. Friends, while we pray to-day 
I want you to put yourself in as 
humble and sincere attitude toward 
God as you can, for remember He 
said : ‘Knock and it shall be open- 
ed unto you; seek and ye shall find; 
ask and ye shall receive.’ ” 

He then knelt and offered an ear- 
nest petition to the King on high, af- 
ter which other members of the con- 
gregation offered prayers. 

A few soul-stirring songs were 
sung, after which the congregation 
dispersed to their homes. 

Although Donald did not know 
it then, much good was to come of 
what he had done that day. 

Grown folks may live almost a 
perfect life, may exhort and encour- 
age along this line and still be un- 
able to touch some hearts. 

But let a little child or a boy or 
girl begin the life of faith and their 

50 


His Beautiful Life 


Christian influence is exerted upon 
and felt by the hardest heart. 

Preachers of wonderful power and 
influence may be unable to touch 
with the gospel the indifferent heart 
of the sinner that seems dead to all 
good and all virtue, yet the child that 
follows the Christ-life, while per- 
haps not able to lead them to repen- 
tance, will unconsciously lead them 
to a better and purer life unless their 
heart is so deeply seared by sin that 
they are dead to all that is pure and 
good. 


51 


CHAPTER VI. 


HIS BEAUTIFUL LIFE. 

Tell me not, oh, infidel, there is 
no God, no heaven, no place of retri- 
bution for those in the boundless be- 
yond who caused humanity to suf- 
fer, drenched human hearts with suf- 
fering and blasted the hopes of 
bright-eyed youths; who heard the 
still, small voice of the omnipotent 
God within them, calling them to a 
higher, holier and grander life. Tell 
me not that a God did not create this 
marvelous being we call man. 

Could any intelligence less than 
God’s fashion the human body? 
What motive power is it, if not of 
God, that drives the throbbing heart 
and sends the crimson stream of life 
through every vein? Whence, and 
what this thing we call mind? What 
is this great mystery we call the 
soul ? 


52 


His Beautiful Life 


Who will deny the existence of 
a God, and that he is in and over all ? 

His mystery is over all, in every 
flower, bud, leaf and tree, hill, dale 
'and mountain, river, rivulet and 
spring. 

His might is manifested to us in 
many ways; the wind is His mes- 
senger, the thunder of heaven His 
voice and the earthquake the impress 
of His feet. 

The heavens above us teem with 
myriads of witnesses; and the uni- 
verse of solar systems whose wheel- 
ing orbs course the crystal paths 
of space, proclaims through the 
dread hall of eternity the glory and 
power of God. 

Who, then, will say that a God 
so powerful, wise and good cannot 
and will not guide the destinies of 
men in the affairs of this life? 

If I have not misread and mis-in- 
terpreted everything in the Bible, this 
boy of whom we write received a 

53 


His Beautiful Life 


call from God in the morning of his 
young life, and created within him 
a burning desire for the true and 
beautiful. 

Like little Samuel, when he heard 
the voice of God he answered, “Here 
am I,” and from that time he trust- 
ed in the Lord Jesus Christ as his 
Savior and from that hour the Holy 
Spirit was his guide and teacher in 
all his affairs of life. 

The Savior of men taught His dis- 
ciples, that the Holy Spirit of truth 
would come into the world after His 
departure and that He would guide 
them into all truth, and He early 
entered this boy’s life and heart to 
fill that mission with Him on earth. 

His was the dawning of a career 
that was destined to startle the world 
in the years to come with all the 
logic and eloquence of a Paul. 

Like many boys his early life con- 
tained many hardships, but he was 
so resolute, modest, unassuming, yet 

54 


His Beautiful Life 


very determined, that day by day 
he overcame every trouble, conquer- 
ed every temptation, daily grew in 
the grace and knowledge of God un- 
til now he stands before us a model 
boy in every respect. 

Unlike many boys, he had no taste 
for the coarse, the immodest, the 
slang and boisterous conduct that 
characterizes so many boys. 

On the other hand he was kind, 
gentle, refined and always very con- 
siderate of the wishes, desires or feel- 
ings of others. 

Until he was ten years of age, his 
playmates were mostly girls, and be- 
ing a boy very easy led by good in- 
fluence, the pureness and gentleness 
of his playmates was indelibly stamp- 
ed upon his heart and was never to 
be erased. 

He was never found listening to 
or indulging in the profane language 
sc; common to some boys but was al- 

55 


His Beautiful Life 


ways as modest in his conversation 
as the purest girl. 

He sought and moved in the best 
society; not the society that many 
try to follow 7 and move in — the so- 
ciety of the rich and influential — but 
the society that kept him constantly 
reminded of his duty to his God; 
this society kept his mind from 
worldly things and made him con- 
stantly study of the purer and holier 
tilings of heaven and earth. 

Not that he was unkind or slight- 
ed anybody ; no, banish that thought, 
if you entertain it. 

Immediately after his conversion 
and union with the church he start- 
ed to earnestly work for Christ, and 
he never lost an opportunity to im- 
part a moral lesson or instruct his 
associates in righteousness and the 
higher moral and religious life. 

He is a recluse by no means ; he 
often visits his young friends and 

56 


His Beautiful Life 


he is always heartily welcome where- 
ever he goes. 

His bright, sunny disposition 
sheds a lialo of sunshine wherever 
he goes; sometimes rebukes come 
from his lips like a thunderbolt from 
a clear sky, but they come in that 
gentle way of refusing to do, and 
discouraging others in doing, what 
he does not believe it right and help- 
ful to do, so that he retains the love 
of those who differ from him, and 
often wins their deeper admiration 
for him. 

He was in some way different 
from other boys, or at least most 
boys ; he had something about 
him that at once seemed to attract 
others to him; some trait that seem- 
ed to make every one love him; he 
cast an influence for good upon every 
one with whom he came in contact. 

His friends love him with a true 
devotion, for they have learned his 

57 


His Beautiful Life 


sterling qualities and have learned 
that he will do to trust in every way. 

His young friends often come to 
him for advice for they have found 
that his judgment is sound and that 
his insight into things, especially 
those things pertaining to a spiritual 
judgment, is far greater than that 
of many older persons. 

He tried to cheer his friends and 
tried to infuse into them some of 
his spirit; tried to encourage and 
raise them to a higher standard of 
perfection. 

To one of his young friends who 
had professed Christ and seemed to 
be very impatient because he could 
not do some wonderful thing at once, 
he said, “You will find that through 
grace you grow stronger each day; 
that you cannot convert the whole 
world in one day’s time. 


58 


His Beautiful Life 


“ ‘Heaven is not reached by a single 
bound. 

But we build the ladder by which we 
rise. 

From the lowly earth to the vaulted 
skies; 

And we mount to its summit round by 
round.’ ” 

When the world learns that truth 
is the great educator and love is the 
power behind the throne, then suc- 
cess and happiness will come to 
many thousands where ruin has laid 
waste the bright hopes of young 
lives. 

Nations do not suffer when their 
rulers govern in love and mercy, but 
God pity the home, the land and na- 
tion whose rulers frown and rule 
with a rod of iron, and may He pity 
the rulers themselves and learn them 
that the harvest of their frowns is 
death. The frowns of the great Cae- 
sar made nations tremble and quake 
but the harvest of his frown was 
daggers concealed under the cloaks 

59 


His Beautiful Life 


of shuddering Romans until the 
crimson blood of the haughty Caesar 
dripped from the blades of treason 
in the corridors of the Roman cap- 
itol. 

When the mighty Napoleon 
frowned all Europe trembled, but his 
frowns were only the prophecy of 
Waterloo, which left the chivalry 
and flower of France lying dead 
upon the great battlefield. 

The life of our beloved Washing- 
ton eclipses the glory of Caesar, and 
the noble reign of the beautiful Vic- 
toria outshines the romantic record 
01 Napoleon’s rise and fall. 

Happiness does not always dwell 
in palaces, because the sparkling soul 
of love and sunshine does not sit 
enthroned there, and from the mirth- 
less heart of a tyrant the milk of hu- 
man kindness never flows. 

Where there is no happiness there 
is no love, and where there is no love 
life is a desert of sin. 

60 


His Beautiful Life 

Where virtue trembles to tread, 
where hope falters, where happiness 
is crucified for the want of those 
life-lights, all music is banished from 
the joyless air and all that lies be- 
yond is a voiceless shore and a star- 
less sky. Laughter and love and hap- 
piness are the companions of life’s 
pleasures, the allies of civilization 
and the evangels of God. 

They are the guardian angels of 
every Christian home and the guid- 
ing star of every true man and wom- 
an’s life. 

I would rather be the humblest 
among those who have given hope 
to the hopeless and happiness to the 
distressed, than to take my place in 
history as a conqueror; I would 
rather have my name written among 
those who love their fellow-man 
than to wear the laurels that en- 
circle the brow of tyrant rulers. 

I would rather sleep in some lone- 
ly church-yard* unknown and unre- 

61 


His Beautiful Life 


membered save in the hearts of those 
in whom I had sown the seeds of 
kindness and upon whose lips I had 
caused smiles to play, than to be laid 
away in a coffin of gold, with a des- 
olate home as my monument and 
widows and orphans as Witnesses of 
my glory. 

In those things that are born of 
heaven, handed down from God to 
bless and brighten life, will be found 
the secret of Donald Morris’ life. 
Though but a boy, he is already 
changing the tide of affairs in the life 
of the men around him; he is illu- 
minating the lives of his young 
friends with a halo of happiness and 
joy which they never knew before, 
and is turning the hearts of young 
and old alike toward heaven and God 
and giving them a longing for better 
and purer lives. 

The heart life of Donald Morris 
was in constant communion with the 
source of life, the great heart life 

62 


His Beautiful Life 


of the Son of God, and so the fruit 
that clusters around him is but the 
re-producing of the Christ-life in his. 

“O Life, beautiful Life, 

The heaven of love and truth; 

0 Life, beautiful Life, 

Thou hast given me back my youth. 

1 rise on your mystic pinion, 

I breathe in your magical breath; 

O Life, beautiful Life, 

For me there is no more death.’* 


63 


CHAPTER VII. 
donald's sickness. 

Spring, in all its green loveliness 
and beauty is upon the earth again. 

The fields are clad in green ver- 
dure ; flowers of different coldrs lift 
their heads shyly above the green 
grass; birds flit from tree to tree, 
singing their merry songs of praise 
and gladness ; the wind whistles 
gaily through the forest ; the brooks 
babble softly as they splash and leap 
and whirl on their never-ending, 
tireless journey; all the earth is alive 
with joy and gladness, yet in the 
community in which Donald Morris 
lives there is sadness. 

One day Donald was taken sud- 
denly ill; the family physician was 
sent for and came promptly. 

After a careful examination he 
shook his head gravely. Mrs. Mor- 
ris, very anxious and alarmed, 

64 


His Beautiful Life 


pressed the Doctor for an explana- 
tion of what was the matter with 
her boy. 

He gave it as his opinion that 
Donald had an attack of the dreaded 
disease which modern medical 
science is battling against so heroic- 
ally, appendicitis; but said he could 
not say positively until the case had 
more fully developed. 

He promised to return the next 
day, gave his final instructions and 
left. 

He was back promptly on time the 
next day, and after another exami- 
nation of his patient, reaffirmed his 
statement of the day before. 

He stated that an operation might 
not be necessary, if taken in hand by 
a physician skilled in this disease, at 
once. 

He said that in Dallas, a city of 
North Texas, there was a physician 
who made a specialty of treating this 
disease and that he was having worn 

65 


Iiis Beautiful Life 


derful success in curing without op- 
erating, and gave his opinion that as 
soon as Donald was able to travel he 
should be carried to this physician. 

The Doctor said he would accom- 
pany his patient, and that there 
would be no use for his father and 
mother to go, as it would be very ex- 
pensive on them, and that he would 
see that Donald had every attention 
needed for his comfort and safety. 

Mr. and Mrs. Morris agreed for 
Donald to be taken to Dallas, but 
Mrs. Morris objected very strenu- 
ously to neither of them going with 
him, but gave in when the Doctor 
told them that he would send a tele- 
gram immediately after the exami- 
nation and report of the specialist, 
and if he advised an operation they 
were to come at once; and in case 
an operation was not necssary he 
would arrange to have a report sent 
them each day in regard to his con- 
dition. 


66 


His Beautiful Life 


In a week he was sufficiently re- 
covered to make the trip, and every- 
thing was put in readiness for the 
start. 

The morning he was to start, be- 
fore leaving the house, he told his 
father and mother that he felt like 
he would be back safe and well in a 
few weeks, but that it was possible 
this would be the last time he would 
ever see his old home. 

He then asked them to bow with 
him while he prayed what possibly 
might be his last prayer around the 
family altar. 

Dear reader, do you have to 
stretch your imagination to see that 
scene ? If your heart is not too hard, 
if you have any regard whatever 
for sacred things, you will not pass 
this lightly by. 

Conscious of the awful fact that 
this might be the last time he should 
ever see his beautiful home, or pe- 
tition God from this holy altar, this 

67 


His Beautiful Life 


boy, who trusted so implicitly in the 
Man of Galilee, closed his thoughts 
to every worldly thing and poured 
out his soul to his God. 

When they arose every eye was 
wet with tears they were not asham- 
ed to let flow. 

His mother and father accompa- 
nied him to the train, and after he 
was gone they sadly turned their way 
homeward again. 

Their spirits seemed utterly crush- 
ed; all the sunshine seemed to be 
gone out of their life, and they could 
talk in hushed tones only of their 
boy. 

He was so go<5d and kind to ev- 
erything and everybody, so manly 
and true, and as tender as a girl, and 
his friends having found that he pos- 
sessed these and other sterling qual- 
ities, loved him with an intensity 
most unusual; and when the news 
spread over the community that he 
was to be carried away to be treated, 

68 


His Beautiful Life 


and probably to be operated upon, 
there was sadness in many homes. 

Several of his young- friends were 
at his home to bid him good-bye the 
night before he was to start, and 
their feelings toward him was plain- 
ly shown by their affectionate fare- 
well. 

We must now shift the scene to 
the beautiful city of Dallas. 

As a certain train slowed up at the 
Union station, two figures, whom 
you will readily surmise to be Don- 
ald and the Doctor, descended the 
steps, and, calling a cab, entered and 
were rapidly whirled along Main 
street until they came to the office of 
the specialist. 

Telling Donald to wait in the re- 
ception room for a few moments, 
the Doctor, whose name was Forbes, 
passed into the private office of the 
specialist. He wished to give the 
Doctor something of a history of 

69 


His Beautiful Life 


Donald’s life, as well as a history of 
his case. 

He was interested in Donald and 
wished, by giving an account of his 
life, to interest the specialist and have 
him to do his best to effect a cure 
without operating. 

After the usual greeting was over, 
the Doctor said: “Dr. Stanhope, I 
have brought you a patient in whom 
I am peculiarly interested ; he is suf- 
fering with what I am afraid is a 
serious case of appendicitis. 

“I know you have been curing this 
disease of late with marked success, 
and I want you to exert all your 
skill in trying to cure this boy. I 
know you to be a man of honor, as 
well as a Christian gentleman, and I 
think after I have given. you an ac- 
count of this boy you will be quite 
as much interested in him as I am.” 

He then went ahead and told the 
Doctor all about Donald, including 
a history of his religious work, of 

70 


His Beautiful Life 


his unselfish work in behalf of oth- 
ers, and of the magnetic influence 
he seemed to exert over every one 
with whom he came in contact. 

When he finished speaking Dr. 
Stanhope said : “I am very much in- 
terested in this boy already, from 
what you have told me about him, 
and you may feel assured I will do 
my utmost for him. Bring him in 
at once.” 

Dr. Forbes retired to the reception 
room, where he found Donald read- 
ing a small pocket Testament. 

On seeing the Doctor returning, 
he slipped his Testament in his 
pocket and said, as they stood at the 
door separating them from the great 
specialist: “Dr. Forbes, you cannot 
know my feelings at this moment. In 
a few minutes, at least, I will know 
my fate, and while I have left it 
in the hands of my God and feel that 
He will watch over me and give me 
a quick recovery, yet it may be or- 

71 


His Beautiful Life 


dained otherwise, and I may soon 
stand at the threshold of death. Dr. 
Forbes, I am not afraid to die, but 
life is very sweet to me, and I should 
like very much if you would exert 
your influence upon Dr. Stanhope in 
my behalf.” 

“My dear boy,” said the Doctor, 
“I have given Dr. Stanhope a com- 
plete history of you, and he is very 
much interested in you and your 
case. Rest assured he will do every- 
thing in his power to give you a 
complete recovery.” 

Donald pressed the Doctor’s hand 
in gratitude, and together they 
passed through the door and stood 
before the great Doctor. 

Donald saw standing before him 
a man with a kind face, a profession- 
al air and a French beard, and he 
felt instinctively that he would like 
this man. 


72 


His Beautiful Life 


On the other hand, the Doctor saw 
before him a tall youth with a clear- 
cut, honest face and fearless brown 
eyes, which seemed to pierce and 
read the thoughts of his mind. 

As their hands met in a tight clasp 
an indescribable feeling passed over 
both, and the mute appeal in Don- 
ald’s eys was answered by a reassur- 
ing smile on the Doctor’s face. 

The Doctor immediately began the 
examination, asking many questions 
in the meantime. 

Donald answered every question 
quickly and accurately, and gave the 
Doctor much additional information, 
which showed he knew considerable 
about the human body. 

After forty-five minutes spent in 
a careful examination, Dr. Stanhope 
said, with a kind smile: “My boy, I 
think I can cure you in two or three 
weeks, safe and sound. I do not be- 
lieve you have, or have ever had, 

73 


His Beautiful Life 


appendicitis, and while I cannot say 
positively as yet that it is not appen- 
dicitis, yet I am almost certain it is 
not. I think that by to-morrow I can 
tell you definitely.” 


74 


CHAPTER VIII. 

' A DARING RESCUE. 

“It is a great relief to hear you 
say that, Dr. Stanhope. I was very 
much afraid I would receive an al- 
together different report, but I feel - 
very much .more hopeful after hear- 
ing your decision.” 

“Where will you stay while in the 
city?” inquired the Doctor. 

“At the Southland, sir,” said Don- 
ald. 

“Very well; a fine place. You be 
back to-morrow at 10 o’clock and 
we will have another examination. 
In the meantime you have Dr. 
Forbes accompany you on a tour 
over the city, if you like. Doubtless 
you can find many things that will 
interest you.” 

“Very well, sir, I will do so. I 
think I can find enough amusement 

75 


His Beautiful Life 


while in the city- that I will not be 
lonesome.” 

After a few more words, Dr. 
Forbes and Donald passed out to the 
street, where the first thing they did 
was to go to the telegraph office and 
send Donald’s folks a message con- 
veying the physician’s favorable re- 
port upon his case. 

This done, they spent several 
hours in sight-seeing. The enor- 
mous business of the city, with all 
its hurry and hustle and many beau- 
tiful buildings, presented a very in- 
teresting spectacle to Donald. 

Instead of asking a great many 
questions about what he saw, as a 
great many boys would, placed in his 
position, Dr. Forbes saw that his 
eyes were wide open and that he was 
observant of all he saw. 

That night before retiring Don- 
ald asked the Doctor if he would 
join him in worship, and being heart- 
ily assured by the Doctor that he 

76 


His Beautiful Life 


would, he read from his pocket 
7'estament the twenty-second chap- 
ter of Revelation, after which he of- 
fered a fervent prayer of praise and 
thanksgiving. 

He prayed in a low, fervent tone 
of voice, and the Doctor, who was a 
good judge of persons, knew that 
every word he uttered came from the 
depth of an earnest heart. 

After they arose from prayer, Dr. 
Forbes, after gazing intently at Don- 
ald for a few moments, said : “Did 
it ever occur to you that many pray- 
ers are never heard nor answered by 
God?” 

Donald looked up in pained sur- 
prise. “Doctor, I hope you do not 
think that I pray for show or any- 
thing but to thank God for His 
goodness to me.” 

“My boy, I did not intend to hurt 
your feelings or insinuate any such 
thing as that. You misunderstood 
my meaning. But don’t you believe 

77 


His Beautiful Life 


that there are many people who pray 
for no other purpose than to be seen 
of men?” 

“Indeed I do, Doctor; they are 
nothing but hypocrites, for God says 
so Himself, and says that they shall 
have their reward. When a man 
prays and wishes God to hear him 
he had rather be by himself or in 
some secret place, for God tells us 
that if we pray to Him secretly He 
will reward us openly, and while I 
had rather be by myself when I 
worship, I cannot neglect nor omit it 
just because you or someone else 
is with me.” 

“Well said, my boy, and I wish 
to say to you, for I think it will not 
.swell your head, you are the kind of 
boy the world has need of. You 
have started right, and let me en- 
courage you to stay right. Remem- 
ber, you cannot serve God and mam- 
mon. To serve God in an acceptable 
manner, you must cast aside the 

78 


His Beautiful Life 


tilings of this earth and follow Christ 
every day of your life.” 

“I thank you. Doctor, for your 
kind words. I assure you I appre- 
ciate them. Like you say, I know I 
cannot hold on to worldly things 
and serve. God, so I have cast aside 
all worldly things, and in my humble 
way I am trying to serve my Master 
as He would have me do. I feel 
that I am being daily led in the path 
of righteousness, and that by His 
grace I am growing daily in the 
faith.” 

The next morning Dr. Forbes and 
Donald presented themselves at Dr. 
Stanhope’s office at precisely 10 
o’clock. 

He was not engaged and, after a 
cheery greeting, he at once began a 
very careful examination of Donald. 

Presently he smiled and said : 
“Pshaw! You haven’t appendicitis 
any more than I have, and I can cure 
vou in two weeks, or sooner.” 


79 


His Beautiful Life 


“Then,” said Dr. Forbes, “there 
is no use for me to remain here any 
longer. I can do Donald no good by 
staying here and am losing a great 
deal of practice.” 

“Quite right,” said Dr. Stanhope. 
“Well, you may tell Donald’s father 
and mother that inside of two weeks 
I will send him home sound and 
well.” 

Donald accompanied the Doctor 
to the Union station and waited until 
he boarded a train for home; then 
strolled about over the city until 
evening, when he went to the public 
library and secured a book on the 
life of General Houston, after which 
he returned to his room at the South- 
land and soon became deeply ab- 
sorbed in reading. 

Under Dr. Stanhope’s treatment. 
Donald began to improve immediate- 
ly. He made two trips to the Doc- 
tor’s office daily, one at 10 a. m. and 
one at 4 p. m. 


80 


His Beautiful Life 


He always walked to and from the 
office, as the Doctor had told him to 
get all the exercise possible, and al- 
though his hotel was over a dozen 
blocks away, he never took a car. 

One evening as he was going to 
the Doctor’s office, he halted at the 
corner of Ervay and Main street and 
stood watching the throng of people 
drift by. Presently a car came thun- 
dering along and turned the corner 
swiftly. 

A man with a little girl by his side 
started to cross the street. The man 
saw the car and stepped back, but the 
little girl, probably from being used 
to the noise made by the car, did not 
notice that it was coming toward her 
until she had stepped upon the track. 

Looking around suddenly, she saw 
the car bearing down upon her swift- 
ly, not twenty feet away. She seem- 
ed stupefied with terror and stood 
rooted to the mi ddle of the track. 


81 


His Beautiful Life 


The man whom she was with, pre- 
sumably her father, -seemed equally 
unable to move and stood wringing 
his hands, making no motion toward 
saving the little girl. 

The motorman did his best to stop 
the car, but it was clearly seen that 
its force would carry it over the little 
girl if she did not move. 

Donald’s eyes swiftly took in the 
whole thing. 

He saw that if some one did not 
draw the child from the track, and 
do it quickly, she would be killed. 

He was standing near the curb, 
fully seven feet from the track. 

Gathering himself together, he 
jammed his hat down hard and went 
flying through the air. 

The car was coming from the left, 
and as Donald struck the ground by 
the side of the litle girl, it was only 
four feet away. 

Snatching her up with his left 
hand, he swung her around to his 
right and started to jump. 

82 


Hts Beautiful Life 


But in that instant the corner of 
tl'.e car struck him. He flung the 
little girl as far as he could from the 
car, and as he started to jump he 
was knocked heavily to the ground. 

Men shouted and women scream- 
ed as they saw Him borne to the 
ground. 

The child was safe, the fall she got 
from being flung from the track not 
hurting her, beyond a severe jolting 
and shaking up, but it seemed that 
the boy who had so heroically risked 
his life to save hers had indeed given 
it up for her sake in the attempt. 

A crowd gathered around him, all 
anxious to see how bad he was hurt, 
or to see if he was killed. 

A burly policeman pushed his way 
through the crowd and shouted : 
“Stand back : give him room !” 

' Some water was quickly brought 
and poured on Donald’s face and 
head, for it was seen that he was 
only stunned and was still breathing. 

83 


His Beautiful Life 


This revived him and he sat up 
presently, and then rose unsteadily 
to his feet. 

A tiny stream of blood trickled 
slowly down across his face from a 
gash at the edge of his hair. 

His clothes were soiled from be- 
ing knocked down in the dust, and 
with the blood streaming from the 
wound in his head he presented a 
rather unusual spectacle to this 
crowd. 

As he arose to his feet and asked, 
“Is she safe?” some one shouted, 
“Three cheers for the plucky boy!” 
and the air resounded with lusty 
cheers. 

He brushed his clothes, picked up 
his hat and started toward the side- 
walk, when a lady said: “Wait; 
there is blood on your face. Let me 
wipe it away.” 

She moistened her handkerchief 
preparatory to using it, but Donald 
said: “Madam, I thank you, but I 

84 


His Beautiful Life 


could not permit you to soil your 
handkerchief. Here, take mine.” 

She took his handkerchief and 
carefully wiped all the blood and 
dust from his face, and said: “Are 
you hurt much? Can you walk by 
yourself?” 

“Yes, lady, I can walk all right 
now, although I am pretty weak. I 
do not think I am hurt beyond a se- 
\ere shaking up. I wish to thank 
you again for your interest in me 
and for what you have done.” 

He raised his hat to her, and then 
passed through the crowd without 
receiving any thanks from the man 
whose daughter he had saved from 
a frightful death, and who seemed 
to realize nothing except that she 
was safe and uninjured. 

Selfish being! How often do we 
see men act in this manner over dif- 
ferent things. 

While Donald wanted no thanks, 
as he considered he had done noth- 

85 


His Beautiful Life 


ing but his duty, yet the way in 
which the man acted showed that he 
had very little manhood or apprecia- 
tion. 

Donald saw two newspaper men 
following him, but he was soon lost 
in the crowd and they did not over- 
take him. 

As soon as he arrived at the office 
Dr. Stanhope noted his appearance 
and exclaimed : “Hullo ! Been fight- 
ing or get run over by an automo- 
bile ?” 

“Neither,” said Donald quietly; 
“I got struck by a car as I was com- 
ing to your office.” 


86 


CHAPTER IX. 


DR. STANHOPE. 

“One has to be very careful here 
in order not to be rpn over by cars 
and automobiles,” said the Doctor. 
“How did it happen, anyway? Did 
you try to pass in front of the car 
and let it catch you?” 

“Dr. Stanhope, I had rather not 
talk about it,” said Donald evasively. 
“It was just simply a case of ‘didn’t 
jump quick enough,’ and it hit me. 
I suppose the papers will waste a lot 
of ink on it; they generally do on 
such things.” 

Dr. Stanhope looked at him cu- 
riously for a moment, but said noth- 
ing more concerning the accident, if 
it might be termed such. 

The morning papers the next day 
devoted a whole column to describ- 
ing the heroic act of “the unknown 
boy,” as they termed Donald. 

87 


His Beautiful Life 


They gave a glowing account of 
how he saved the little girl from a 
frightful death almost from beneath 
a swiftly moving car, and how, as 
soon as he could walk steadily down 
the street, he had disappeared, with- 
out any one learning his name, and 
that a search for him by newspaper 
men had so far been unsuccessful. 

Dr. Stanhope read the article in 
an early paper, and when Donald 
presented himself at his office that 
morning he said : “I think I see 
through this thing now. Aren’t you 
the fellow that rescued that little girl 
yesterday ?” 

Donald quietly told him he was 
and said he had hoped his identity 
would not become known, for he had 
only done his duty, like many others 
would have done had they been in 
his place, and that he did not see any 
use in making such a fuss over a 
little thing like that. 

88 


His Beautiful Life 


The Doctor grasped Donald’s 
hand and shook it warmly, saying: 
“My boy, your modesty is equal to 
your bravery. Very few men, much 
less boys, would have attempted such 
an act, and I assure you I honor you 
for your bravery and modesty, and 
I am glad I have the privilege of 
knowing and having as my friend 
such a boy as ypu are.” 

Donald thanked him for his kind 
words and asked him not to tell any 
one that he was the one who per- 
formed the act, saying that he didn’t 
even intend to tell his father and 
mother about it, as it would only 
worry them. 

He kept his word. Neither his 
folks nor his friends ever knew how 
near he came to giving his life for 
that of a little golden-haired girl 
who was a stranger to him. 

Had they known, it would only 
have increased their admiration for 


89 


His Beautiful Life 


him and made him more popular 
than ever. 

A week has passed since the in- 
cident which came so near costing 
Donald his life. 

Dr. Stanhope has told him that he 
is well and can go home. 

It is evening and he is there to get 
his final instructions and tell the Doc- 
tor good-bye. 

He has learned to think a great 
deal of Dr. Stanhope, and as he stood 
before the Doctor he thought of the 
great debt of gratitude he owed him, 
and his lips trembled as he said: 
“Dr. Stanhope, you can never know 
how much what you have done for 
me means to me. I owe you a last- 
ing debt of gratitude I can never can- 
cel. I want to thank you again and 
again, and I assure you I shall ever 
hold you in grateful remembrance.” 

“My boy,” said the Doctor, “I am 
glad I have been able to do some- 
thing that will add to your personal 

90 


His Beautiful Life 


happiness, for I have learned to think 
more of you than you know, and if 
ever you are in the city again remem- 
ber no one will be prouder to see 
you than I.” 

A last grip of the hand, a good- 
bye, and Donald passed swiftly down 
the corridor and out into the street. 

Dr. Stanhope sat and listened until 
the last sound of his footsteps had 
died away, and then said : “A won- 
derful, a noble boy. He has a bril- 
liant future before him. I do not 
know when I have seen a boy who 
attracted me so strongly as he has. 
Yes, he has a bright, a brilliant fu- 
ture, and he will make the most of it. 
I hope that I may see him again. 

* ****** * 

The sun is sinking beyond the dis- 
tant horizon in a haze of purple and 
gold, and the gray dusk is rapidly 
casting its mantle over the city. 

On a fast train just leaving Dallas 
was Donald Morris. 


91 


His Beautiful Life 


He sat eft a window looking out 
over the city, which, in the shadows 
of twilight, with its many lights 
gleaming brightly, presented a very 
pretty scene. 

As he looked beyond the city into 
the deepening gloom, he thought 
how different his feelings were now 
as compared to two weeks before. 

Then he had come into a strange 
city, without relatives, with only one 
man whom he knew, to seek release 
from the disease which had fastened 
itself upon him. 

Now he was bidding good-bye to 
all this. 

He was going home — yes, going 
home, buoyant with a new hope and 
a new determination. 

A peaceful happiness stole over 
him as he meditated upon these * 
things. 

Surely God had granted this to 
him ; yes, he felt that it was the an- 
swer to his prayer, and his heart 

92 


His Beautiful Life 


grew tender as he thought of the 
goodness of his God to him. 

As soon as it grew too dark to dis- 
tinguish anything outside, he turned 
his attention to the occupants of the 
car, which consisted of an assortment 
of persons generally found on a car. 

He swiftly scanned every face, 
passing them by with his glance until 
his eyes rested upon a man near the 
middle of the car. 

The man sat near a lamp and Don- 
ald could see his features plainly. 

He wore a shabby suit of gray and 
a soft felt hat, which he finally pulled 
down over his face. 

Before he did this, however, Don- 
ald did not fail to catch the sinister 
gleam of his eyes and to see that his 
face was marred by dissipation until 
it wore a reckless look. 

Donald tried to picture to himself 
this man’s history and what he was. 
That he was not far wrong in his 
conclusions of the man he was sure. 

93 


His Beautiful Life 


He had no idea whatever that he 
would ever know anything of this 
man or his history, but he was des- 
tined to be mistaken, as the future 
development of the story will show. 

As the train thundered along Don- 
ald closed his eyes and leaned back 
on the soft cushion of the seat, not 
intending to go to sleep, but the mo- 
tion of the train soon caused him to 
drop off into a dreamless slumber. 

How long he slept thus he never 
knew ; it seemed to him a very short 
time, but he was awakened suddenly 
by being dashed violently against the 
seat in front. 

There was a tearing, crashing 
noise, the train swayed heavily to one 
side and stopped with a nerve-wrack- 
ing jolt that threw every passenger 
violently from their seats. 

Dazed and hurt, Donald caught to 
the back of a seat and painfully re- 
gained his position, and, looking 
about him, he saw other passengers 

94 


His Beautiful Life 


in the car lying across seats, and one, 
the man in the gray suit and felt hat, 
with the sinister face, the one that 
Donald had watched so keenly, was 
lying doubled up in the aisle. 

As soon as he was able to stand 
upon his feet, Donald, together with 
several others, hastily climbed out of 
the car to see what the trouble was. 

A little group of excited men was 
gathered at one side of the engine 
and they hurriedly made their way 
to these. 

On reaching the group of men it 
was found that a spread rail had 
caused the engine and tender to leave 
the track. 

The engineer and fireman were 
both hurled from the cab and now 
lay bruised and bleeding on the grass, 
moaning with pain. 

Donald started on a run toward 
the coach from which he had come to 
see if he could find a physician on 
the train. 


95 


His Beautiful Life 


He found a little group bending 
over the man we have spoken of be- 
fore, and one, whom Donald readily 
took to be a physician, was making 
a hurried examination of him. 

Donald hurried up to him and 
asked: “Are you a physician, sir?” 
and when he answered in the affirm- 
ative, Donald told him of the en- 
gineer and fireman’s condition and 
received the reply that he would see 
them as quickly as possible. 

The man over whom he was work- 
ing opened his eyes and. in a gasping 
breath, said weakly : “It ain’t no use 
working over me, Doc. Work with 
some fellow what has a chance to 
live. I’m hurt on the inside, and you 
can’t do me any good with your med- 
icine.” 

His voice grew very husky, and 
he said : “It won’t be but a few min- 
utes and I’ll be gone.” Then the full 
force of the words struck him and 
he repeated : “Gone, gone — where ?” 

96 


His Beautiful Life 


His voice rose and he shrieked : 
“Where, where? Will it be to that 
beautiful paradise I have heard of? 
No, it can never be.” His voice died 
away almost to a whisper, and he 
said : “I know I am doomed to eter- 
nal death. There is no hope for me. 
But before my last breath is gone 
I want to tell you a story. It may not 
interest you, but it will take a load 
from my mind and will make dying 
a little easier.” 


% 


97 


CHAPTER X. 


STORY OF A WRECKED LIFE. 

The physician produced a small 
flask and poured a few swallows of 
its contents down the man’s throat. 
For a few minutes it seemed to re- 
vive him, and he began his story. 

“Once I was as pure as the purest 
girl. 

“My father died when I was ten 
3 r ears old, and as I was the only child 
I was left to provide a living for 
mother. We lived in Chicago, and 
although mother and I both worked 
hard we could barely make enough to 
provide the necessities of life, yet we 
were happy, or at least I was, until 
the first event occurred which start- 
ed me on the downward path. My 
mother had taught me to be strictly 
honest, to never curse or run with 
bad boys. I sold newspapers to help 
make a living, and, of course, ran up 
against some very bad boys in the 

98 


His Beautiful Life 


same business. At first I shunned 
them and would have nothing to do 
with them, but pretty soon I decided 
they were pretty nice fellows and fell 
in with them. 

“One night one of them proposed 
to me that we rob a grocery store and 
get some good grub. 

“I balked at first, but let him per- 
suade me into it finally, and that 
night we managed to break into a 
small grocery and loaded ourselves 
down with go.od things to eat and 
started home. 

“When I laid my things down be- 
fore my mother she was speechless 
with astonishment. 

“She knew I had stolen them, in 
spite of the fact that I protested I 
had earned them doing extra work. 
She gave me a long talk and told me 
how wrong I had done and how it 
grieved her, and she made me prom- 
ise that I would never do it again. 

99 


His Beautiful Life 


“I promised and meant to keep my 
promise, and for awhile I kept away 
from my evil companions. About this 
time my mother took very ill with 
fever, and one day, knowing the end 
was near, she called me to her, and 
gave me a long talk about how she 
wanted me ‘to live and what kind of 
a man she wanted me to make; then 
she told me she was going to die and 
asked me to meet her in heaven, and 
of course I promised her. I was 
heart-broken at the thought of her 
dying and leaving me alone in that 
great city, but in a few days she died 
and I was left to fight life’s battles 
alone. 

“For awhile I tried to live right 
and do my duty, but the evil influence 
around me soon pulled me down. 
One night one of the newsies tried 
to get me to go with him into a sa- 
loon, but I refused, and finally he 
dared me to go in, and when he did 
that it made me mad and I bolted in- 

100 


His Beautiful Life 


side the saloon. We stayed until a 
late hour, listening to the beautiful 
music and watching the gamblers 
play cards and then went home. The 
next night I was back again. It was 
such a dazzling place, and I grew in- 
terested in watching the players. 

“Soon I was persuaded to play 
myself, and the fire and passion of 
the thing soon ate its way into my 
brain.” Here he choked and gasped 
for breath. The physician poured a 
swallow of the brandy down the 
man’s throat, and after a moment he 
went ahead with the story. 

“Having nothing but evil influ- 
ences around me, and nothing to 
check my downward course, I drifted 
from bad to worse. By the time I 
was eighteen I had lost all honor and 
was a constant gambler. I secured 
a position in a large manufacturing 
establishment in Chicago, but did not 
stay with it long, for one morning 
when I came in, after having been on 

101 


His Beautiful Life 


a big spree all night, the manager 
told me he did not need any such fel- 
lows as me and that I might draw 
what pay was coming to me and seek 
employment elsewhere. I drew my 
pay and took a train for the West, 
for I was sick of Chicago, and 
thought that, perhaps, by going 
West I might build myself up and 
make a man yet. I hit the desert 
West of Santa Fe, and for three 
years I worked steadily on a ranch, 
although in a pretty rough crowd. I 
partly redeemed myself and began to 
be a better man. 

“No one who is not a gambler 
knows anything about the terrible 
temptation to return to the old life 
of sin, and one day while in Santa 
Fe I ran up on one of the old boys 
whom I associated with in Chicago, 
and he persuaded me to go back to 
Chicago with him, and, well knowing 
it would prove my downfall again, 
I let the temptation overcome me and 

102 


His Beautiful Life 


went back with him to the old 
haunts.” 

His voice had sunk almost to a 
whisper; his labored breath showed 
that he was fast getting weaker, and 
when he gave a sudden cough a scar- 
let fleck of blood stood upon his lips. 

“From this time on I became a 
perfect wreck; the influence which 
my mother cast over me was lost and 
I forgot the promise I had made to 
her on her dying bed. I have sinned 
only God knows how. My life has 
been an empty shell ; I moored my 
boat to an agent of destruction, and 
the outgoing tide has swept me 
away, and now I see nothing but eter- 
nal destruction ahead. Oh, would to 
God that I could have seen this soon- 
er ! I can’t pray to God, for I’m not 
worthy, but won’t somebody pray for 
me before I pass out? After all I 
have suffered, perhaps He will have a 
little mercy on my wretched soul.” 

103 


His Beautiful Life 


He turned his head slightly and 
looked appealingly at the faces above 
him. His eyes had already taken on 
a glassy lustre, and it was plain that 
he could not last much longer. 

There was no minister on the train 
and it seemed that no one would an- 
swer his dying plea and pray for him. 

Seeing the hesitation on the part 
of the others, Donald knelt by the 
man’s side and said : “My friend 
Christ is willing to forgive you yet. 
He forgave the thief on the cross, 
and He will forgive you. No matter 
how scarlet your sins may be, if you 
will turn from the path of sin, He 
will still believe in you.” 

The dying man gropingly sought 
for Donald’s hand, which he held in 
his own feeble grasp. While Donald 
was praying for God to have mercy 
on this poor wretch, an agonized cry 
came from his lips. “Oh, God, have 
mercy on me, a sinner !” and in a few 
moments the watchers heard him 


104 


His Beautiful Life 


whisper: “Yes, mother; I am com- 
ing.” 

Then his hand fell away from 
Donald’s, and when he arose from 
prayer and looked into the man’s face 
he saw a look of contentment there; 
a smile was on his lips, and Donald 
knew that his soul had returned to 
its Maker. 

They then left him to look after 
the other sufferers. It was found 
that six others were hurt, two Qf 
them seriously. Far into the night 
they labored to relieve the sufferings 
of the injured ones, and at dawn the 
next morning, when a relief crew 
came to their rescue, the sufferers 
were resting as easily as circum- 
stances would permit. 

The track was fixed, the engine 
and tender righted, and the train 
moved slowly onward with its injur- 
ed and dead. 

At 10 o’clock it reached the town 
w’here Donald was to get off. His 

105 


His Beautiful Life 


parents were there to meet him, and 
after the glad greeting was over he 
stood silent and motionless, watching 
the train until it disappeared in the 
distance, and then, hand-in-hand 
with his parents, he turned and, as 
they slowly walked away, he told 
them his experience in coming back 
home and the story of a blasted life, 
just as it had come from the man’s 
own lips. 

When he had finished the story his 
father said : “It is sad, sad to think 
that some men will barter their lives 
away like that. It seems strange 
that they cannot see that such a life 
leads swiftly to eternal shame and 
destruction, but it seems that they 
follow the mad passions and the de- 
sires of the present, without any 
thought whatever of what such a life 
will bring them to in the future.” 


106 


CHAPTER XI. 


HARRY DENTON. 

It is autumn again and is time for 
school to open once more. 

The directors of the school near 
Donald’s home, in recognition of his 
ability, have placed him in a good po- 
sition in that school. 

It is the day school is to open, and 
as Donald wended his way to the 
school-house he whistled a merry 
tune. 

He was very glad that he com- 
manded the respect of his community 
to such an extent that he was to be 
placed in this position; he was glad 
that he held the confidence of the peo- 
ple, and that they were not afraid to 
place their children under his teach- 
ing. 

He realized the great responsibili- 
ty placed upon him ; he knew that his 
acts and words would have a great 

107 


His Beautiful Life 


influence in shaping the future des- 
tiny of the children with whom he 
was to work, either for good or 
bad, and he resolved that, with God’s 
help, the example he set before them, 
both in act and teaching, should be 
blameless. 

As he stood before them that 
morning and looked into their bright, 
happy faces, he renewed his resolu- 
tion. 

On their faces he saw nothing but 
perfect trust and confidence, and he 
said to them : “My little friends, you 
cannot begin to comprehend how 
glad I am to be with you to-day and 
that we are to work together this 
term of school; you cannot realize 
the depth and intensity of my feel- 
ings this morning as I stand before 
you, nor do you know the respect 
and love I have for you, but let me 
assure you it is very great. 

“Perhaps some of you do not real- 
ize the great responsibility that will 

108 


His Beautiful Life 


rest upon me as your teacher. I am 
not here merely to instruct you in 
your studies, but on me falls the re- 
sponsibility of helping - to shape your 
future destiny, your future life. 

“I cannot make a success of you, 
no matter how hard I try, if you do 
not help me. 

“I want you to see the pure and 
beautiful in everything; sift them 
from the impure and vulgar, and 
never contaminate yourself by sink- 
ing to such a low level that you in- 
dulge in vulgarism of any kind. 

“Keep yourself pure and spotless, 
as the Master would have you do. 
Every morning together we will stand 
and ask God to guide us through the 
perils and temptations of the day and 
we will ask Him to guide us in the 
path of all righteousness and to ever 
keep us pure and clean.” 

When Donald finished speaking he 
bade them stand and, with bowed 
head, he reverently invoked the bless- 

109 


His Beautiful Life 


irtgs of the Father upon his school 
and himself, and asked that they be 
guided each day by His mighty 
power. 

Do not think, dear reader, that he 
did this for any other purpose 
than to bring his pupils into a closer 
relationship with God and to get 
them to see the beauty of the true 
life. 

If you think he did it for personal 
popularity or purpose, banish it at 
once, for no such thought ever enter- 
ed his mind. 

He lived his teachings before his 
.scholars and they soon learned to 
love him in a very unusual manner, 
for he gained their respect this way 
more quickly than he could have 
done in any other way. 

They saw that he trusted in God 
for all power and they were .not 
afraid to trust in him. 

The larger pupils in the superin- 
tendent’s room had equally as much 

110 


His Beautiful Life 


esteem and confidence in him and 
often came to him for advice or to 
tell him their troubles, for they soon 
learned that he had a very sympa- 
thetic nature and was always ready 
to help those in distress. 

One morning before reaching the 
school-house one of the larger boys 
who belonged in the superintendent’s 
room came slowly across the 
grounds to meet him. 

This boy’s name was Harry Den- 
ton, and he and Donald were fast 
friends. 

Donald could tell that something 
,was amiss, from the clouded, anx- 
ious look on Harry’s face, and he 
asked : “What is the matter, old boy? 
Something has gone wrong, I know. 
Tell me about it.” 

Harry grasped his hand and said : 
“God bless you, Donald! I knew 
you would sympathize with me. I 
feel like I am ruined, disgraced for- 
ever. Donald, you are the best friend 

111 


His Beautiful Life 


I have and, except my* father and 
mother, you are the first one I have 
told my story to. Let us walk out to 
the church-house and I will tell you 
all about it.” 

As it lacked some thirty minutes 
until time to begin work, Donald ac- 
companied him to the church and, sit- 
ting down on the steps, Harry began 
his story. 

“Last Friday night I went to an 
entertainment at Mr. Dayton’s, as I 
understood it to be, but it turned out 
to be a dance. You know, Donald, 
I do not make a habit of going to 
dances, nor do I dance, but that night 
they begged me to dance one set, 
anyhow, and I finally consented. 
After I had danced one set, I wanted 
to dance another, and I kept dancing 
until I was exhausted and, hot and 
tired, I left the room. Dan Pruden 
met me at the door and, together, we 
walked out into the yard to cool. 
Near the gate Dan’s foot struck 

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His Beautiful Life 


against something and, stooping 
quickly, he picked it up and, striking 
a match, we saw it was a bottle half 
full of whiskey. 

“Dan started to set it back down 
where he found it, and then said : ‘I 
wonder how it tastes and how it 
would seem to drink a little. Suppose 
we try it once, Harry?’ I tried to 
get him to let it alone, but he turned 
the bottle up and took a swallow. He 
said it was fine and made a fellow 
feel big, and kept after me until I 
took a drink. 

“We then put the bottle down and 
sat down under a tree and talked 
awhile, but soon the drink we had 
already got called for another, and 
before we knew it we had the bottle 
again.” For a moment he paused; 
his lips trembled so he could hardly 
talk, and Donald felt profoundly sor- 
ry for him. 

“We kept this .up until we were 
both drunk and then staggered into 

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the house. Donald, you cannot know 
the shame of it all and how I feel 
over being guilty of such a thing. 

“I know I have no right to call 
myself your friend any longer; I 
know you would never stoop to such 
a scandal, and I could not blame 
you if you were to refuse to have 
anything more to do with me.” 

Donald looked at him earnestly for 
a moment and then said: “Harry, 
is that your idea of Christianity. Do 
you think that because you have done 
wrong is any reason why I should 
turn against you and have nothing 
further to do with you? 

“Do people reform by having oth- 
ers criticise and abuse them for 
wrong-doing? No, it only hardens 
them the more and makes them hate 
and distrust mankind. 

“Harry, what would you think of 
me if I was to condemn and criticise 
you and spread over the communi- 
ty the story of what you have done? 

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His Beautiful Life 


Do you think I would have any right 
to call myself a Christian? 

“My duty is to lift fallen human- 
ity; to try to get a reformation by 
being kind and good to those who 
have gone wrongi and I cannot help 
to blight your life by being cruel and 
unkind to you when you most need 
my assistance.” 

“Oh, Donald, you do not know 
how glad it makes me feel to hear 
you say that, for I was afraid every 
one would turn against me and try 
to push me on down. You believe 
in me yet?” 

“Yes, Harry, I believe in you yet, 
and will do all I can to help you build 
yourself up; but the next time you 
are tempted to sin in this way, re- 
member your dear mother and the 
sorrow it will cause her. Won’t you 
promise me, Harry, that you will 
never take another drink nor go to 
another dance? Dances, as well as 
whiskey, are the cause of many a 

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His Beautiful Life 


boy’s downfall, for it is there that 
many boys learn to drink.” 

Harry took Donald’s hand in his 
own and said steadily: “I promise 
you, Donald, as I promised my moth- 
er, that never would I take another 
drink, nor go to another dance, and 
with God’s help I will keep my prom- 
ise. Donald, I want you to pray for 
me that I may quit my life of sin 
and live as you live. If I could only 
enjoy the peace and happiness of be- 
longing to God, as you do, I would 
be happy indeed.” 

“Harry, I will pray for you and 
f want you to pray earnestly for 
yourself. The fact that you want to 
be saved shows that God is willing 
to pardon your sins. Pray and keep 
praying; pray earnestly and stead- 
fastly and the darkness will fade 
away and the light of the Judean 
hills will illumine your life even as 
it has mine.” 


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They then went back to the school- 
house, the one conscious that he had 
given inspiration and encouragement 
to a troubled soul, the other that he 
had a friend who was a friend in- 
deed. 


117 


CHAPTER XII. 

DONALD AND MAUDE MASSEY. 

In the same school where Donald 
taught, in one of the higher grades, 
was a girl who will be closely con- 
nected with the remainder of this 
book. 

Bright-eyed and sunny-haired, 
Maude Massey was a favorite among 
fcer playmates and friends. 

She possessed grace in form, face 
and manner. 

Her clear-cut, oval face was beau- 
tiful indeed; when she smiled a 
dimple, played in either cheek and a 
row of gleaming white teeth shone 
through a pair of soft, velvety lips. 

She had a bright, sunny disposi- 
tion, which made her very attractive, 
and her friends loved her dearly, de- 
claring that she was a girl of sterling 
quality. 


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His Beautiful Life 


She and Donald were friends and 
were often together. 

Each had the respect and admira- 
tion of the other; she liked Donald 
because of his manly way and Chris- 
tian life, and Donald liked her be- 
cause she had proven herself to be 
his friend in more ways than one. 

She possessed a kind, gentle spirit 
and was always ready to help any one 
ir distress or show a kindness where- 
ever she could. 

One evening Donald walked home 
with her from school. 

For several weeks he had wished 
to talk with her about her spiritual 
life, and. this was as good a chance 
as he could get. 

He knew that she was a model girl 
in nearly every respect, yet he did 
not know whether she had given her 
life to God as he hoped she had. 

He quickly brought up the subject 
in mind by asking : “Maude, you be- 
lieve there is a God who is supreme, 

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a Savior who took upon Himself the 
sin of the world and for your sake 
died and was resurrected to show 
that we shall likewise rise, and that 
through this Savior there is salvation 
for us, do you not?” 

“Certainly I do, Donald. You do 
not think I am an infidel or atheist, 
or anything like that, do you?” she 
asked reprovingly. 

“I beg your pardon, Maude. I 
did not mean to insinuate any such 
thing as that. I have been wanting 
to talk to you for some time in re- 
gard to your salvation. I am deeply 
interested in you, and since I gave 
my life to Christ I want to see you 
and everybody else saved. You are 
at peace with mankind ; you haven’t 
an enemy anywhere, but have you 
made peace with God ? Do you hon- 
estly believe and feel that through 
Christ Jesus you have been redeemed 
of your sins and forgiven?” 

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She turned her eyes full upon 
Donald, and in them was the glint of 
a tear as she said: “Oh, Donald, I 
must confess the truth to you and 
tell you all. Ever since you were 
converted I have been trying to live 
as you live. I saw what a grand and 
noble life you were living and I 
have been hungry for the faith and 
perfect confidence in God which 
characterizes your life, but that peace 
of mind and soul has never come 
to me yet, and although people say 
I am a good girl and live right, yet 
I know that my sins have not been 
forgiven and that I am not at peace 
with God.” 

“Have you prayed earnestly to 
God to forgive your sins?” 

“Not as much as I should, I fear ; 
T cannot see why He should save 
some from their sins and let others 
perish. 

“It is not because He is partial to 
some, for the Bible says ‘God is no 


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respecter of persons yet it looks like 
He will not save me, though I sup- 
pose I have not asked Him in the 
right way, nor often enough.” 

“That is it, Maude; you have not 
asked Him in the right way nor often 
enough. When men are not forgiven 
of their sins it is because they have 
grown too hard-hearted to repent, 
and I know you are not that way. 
Before He saved me I prayed day 
and night that the light might come 
upon me, and although it seemed 
sometimes that the way was very 
dark and that my prayer was not go- 
ing to be answered, yet when the 
time came in my life that I felt like 
I could not do without God any long- 
er, and went to praying in earnest. 
He manifested Himself to me in such 
a manner that all doubts were dis- 
spelled and I knew that my sins were 
forgiven. He forgave my sins, and 
He will forgive you yours. The fact 
that you want to live right and know 

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God and His mercy shows that He is 
willing to pardon you. You can nev- 
er know until you have become one 
of the blood-washed throng how 
sweet this life is. We have nothing 
to gain by living the life of sin, but 
everything to lose, while a halo, a 
rainbow of promise rests upon the 
brows of the righteous.” 

“I know it, Donald, and, oh, how 
I long for peace from the life of sin 
and to be made to feel that God has 
accepted me as His own. I don’t 
know why you have taken such an 
interest in me, as I am a Baptist and 
you are a Methodist, but believe me. 
Donald, I do appreciate it, and I 
want to tell you that I believe in you, 
have believed in you all the time, and 
will continue to do so, and want you 
to pray that I may find the light and 
be saved.” 

Donald turned his dark eyes upon 
her. and said earnestly: “I have a 
profession, a duty to perform. I pro- 

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His Beautiful Life 


fess to love and serve the Lord Jesus 
Christ, and the fact that you are the 
daughter of Baptist parents and a 
Baptist yourself does not keep me 
from wanting you saved. Maude, we 
are all brothers, members of one 
great family; we all have one God 
and one heaven to try to reach ; then 
instead of squabbling so much about 
which church is right, why not all 
unite and throw our efforts together 
and work for nothing but God and 
His kingdom ?” 

“You do not think it makes any 
difference, then, what church we be- 
long to, just so we are Christians?” 
she asked. 

“I believe that there are Chris- 
tians, people who are saved, in 
nearly all the different churches. 
I do not think a man has to be a 
Methodist or a Baptist to be saved, 
yet I do believe that Christ intended 
that there should be but one church, 
for He said, ‘On this rock will I build 

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my church and the gates of hell shall 
not prevail against it/ and from the 
fact that He said church, and not 
churches, I believe that we should 
all belong to one church.” 

“But how are we to know which 
church is right,” she questioned, 
“when men get up such widely dif- 
ferent ideas, and each says that his 
church is right and that the others 
are wrong?” 

“From the Bible. I do not think 
that Christ would have left us so 
much in the dark as that, and I think 
that if we search the Scriptures in- 
tently enough we can undoubtedly 
find which is right, and while I am 
a Methodist now from reading the 
Bible, yet I am always seeking for 
the true and the beautiful, and if, 
after delving deeper into its many 
mysteries and learning more about it, 
I should believe that the Baptist 
Church was the one Christ intended 
me to join, I should unhesitatingly 

125 


His Beautiful Life 


do so. The man who is so narrow 
as to say that his church is right and 
all others wrong, and that none are 
saved unless they belong to the 
church which he does, is, I think, 
rather to be pitied. God’s Word says 
that each one of us is to work out our 
own salvation with fear and trem- 
bling. I cannot give you your sal- 
vation; I can only point the way to 
.Christ, and you must yourself be 
humble and earnest before God and 
pray Him to accept you as His own, 
and although it may not come at first, 
yet, if you stand His test, He will 
at last crown you with peace and 
happiness. 

“Many times have I slipped out 
into the night, after every one was 
asleep but me, and knelt and prayed 
God to rid my soul of its burden of 
sin, and He heard my pleadings, and 
to-day, thanks be to Him, I know 
that through the sacrifice of my Sav- 

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His Beautiful Life 


ior I have been born again and am 
one of the blood-washed throng.” 

“Oh, that I could say that, and 
say it truly as you can, Donald! I 
think, if God would only pardon me 
so that I might live for Him and 
Him alone, I would be the happiest 
girl you ever saw.” 

“You can be ifyou will,” said Don- 
ald ; “I will help you. God will par- 
don you as readily as He did me or 
any one else. Maude, I firmly be- 
lieve that if you will pray God earn- 
estly to-night He will hear you and 
answer your prayer, and that to- 
morrow you can tell me that you 
are a child of God through the mercy 
and love of a crucified Savior.” 

They had now reached the home 
of Mr. Massey, and as they paused 
at the gate Donald asked eagerly: 
“Won't you do it, Maude? Won’t 
you pray for this to-night? I will 
pray for you, and I feel like I know 
that our prayers will not be in vain.” 

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His Beautiful Life 


She looked at him through eyes 
dimmed by tears and, with quivering 
lips, said : “Donald, you cannot know 
what all this means to me ; what your 
talk has done for me. I feel that I 
am better by just listening at your 
conversation, and, believe me, Don- 
ald, from now on I am going to be 
a different kind of a girl. I do prom- 
ise you that from now on I will seek 
God and His righteousness in all 
earnestness, and I do want you to 
pray for me that I may find the peace 
for which I am longing.” 

As Donald turned his steps home- 
w-ard he felt joyously inclined to sing 
or do something to give vent to his 
happiness. 

Happy he was, indeed, for he firm- 
ly believed that his friend was soon 
to enter into the Christ-life and to 
enjoy the peace and happiness for 
which she was longing. 

That night when all was peaceful 
and quiet in his home he slipped out 

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His Beautiful Life 


into the beautiful star-lit night, and 
in the shadow of a giant tree, on the 
bare ground, he knelt and prayed 
earnestly and tearfully that his little 
friend might accept Christ as her 
Savior and receive, through Him, 
peace to her troubled soul. 


129 


CHAPTER XIII. 


INTO THE LIGHT. 

Could Donald have known it, even 
while he was praying for her, Maude 
Massey was bowing, humbly praying 
for light and life. 

“Oh, God,” she prayed, “take me 
as I am to-night, sin-burdened and 
sin-sick. If my sins can be forgiven, 
manifest Thyself to me to-night, for 
I am tired of the world and its way 
and seek the peace of Thy favor. 
Merciful Father, from the depth of 
an earnest heart, I pray Thee to make 
me a child of Thine to-night and 
give me the evidence that Thy divine 
favor rests upon me.” 

Thus she prayed, on and on, until 
the light stole in upon her troubled 
soul, and she stood up rejoicing, 
knowing that her prayer had been 
answered and that she was now, 


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His Beautiful Life 


henceforth, to be a follower of the 
blessed Man of Galilee. 

Stretching her arms heavenward, 
she murmured softly, while her eyes 
were dimmed by tears of gladness 
and happiness: 

“ ‘Just as I am, without one plea. 

But that Thy blood was shed for me, 

And that Thou bid’st me come to Thee, 
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.’ ” 

“Take me, oh, God, with all my 
imperfections, and make of me what 
Thou will.” 

She stood up and looked about her 
in great happiness and joy. 

“Surely it will not be hard to serve 
such a God,” she murmured happily 
as she got into bed. 

Lying on her downy pillow, she 
/thought it all over; what this new 
life meant to her in the way of duty 
and responsibility, and she knew it 
meant much. She would have to 
isolate herself from the world and 


131 


His Beautiful Life 


its sin, and deny herself many of its 
fading pleasures. 

She would have to assume the du- 
ties of a Christian and start fearless- 
ly to work for Christ, but she knew 
it would now be a pleasure instead- of 
the task she had thought it would be. 
She thought of the Savior’s words, 
“Whosoever putteth his hands to the 
plow and turneth back is not fit for 
the kingdom of God,” and she mur- 
mured : “Please, God, grant that I 
may never have a desire to turn back, 
but may always strive to follow in 
the pathway my Savior trod.” 

Then she thought of Donald, and of 
him being the cause of her salvation, 
and her heart went out to him in 
warmest gratitude. 

She knew that he was the cause of 
it all, for previous to their associa- 
tion together she had given the mat- 
ter no serious thought, but as soon 
as she began to know him and note 
his Christian life, she began to see 

132 


His Beautiful Life 


the pure and beautiful in life and 
lc-nged for the calm peace and hap- 
piness that crowned his life. 

Thus, on and on, her mind ran, and 
at last, with these words, “One star 
in Donald’s crown,” ringing in her 
thoughts, she dropped to sleep like 
a tired child to dream, perhaps, of 
the greatest event that had ever en- 
tered her life — the saving of her 
soul. 

The next morning as soon as she 
entered school Donald noted her 
bright, happy face, radiant in her 
joy, and with keen intuition he at 
once guessed the secret of her happi- 
ness. 

As soon as she found a chance she 
came, when no one was in the room 
but Donald and herself, and to him 
she told it all — how, led by his influ- 
ence, she had fulfilled her promise 
and prayed until her sins had been 
forgiven, and that now she was to be 
a follower of Jesus of Nazareth the 

133 


His Beautiful Life 


rest of her life. Her eyes sparkled 
brightly, and she seemed alive with 
joy, and Donald knew that she was 
sincerely happy as she talked to him. 

He waited quietly until she had 
told him all, and then said slowly: 
“1 knew it would come, Maude. I 
felt yesterday that this morning you 
would tell me exactly what you have, 
for I steadfastly believed you were 
to be saved. I sincerely rejoice with 
you in your new-found happiness, 
and if I have in any way influenced 
you for good, I am doubly glad, and 
if I can help you in any way in your 
iiew life I will most gladly do so.” 

“It seems that you and Donald are 
getting on quite well lately,” said one 
of the school girls to Maude Massey 
during play time. 

This girl’s name was Maxine El- 
liott. 

She was a beautiful girl, with dark 
hair and eyes, but her beauty was 
marred by her disposition. 

134 


His Beautiful Life 


Proud and haughty, she thought 
herself above most of her playmates 
and friends, and although Donald 
had always treated her with the same 
respect and courtesy that he did the 
other girls and had tried to be her 
friend, yet she did not like him, and 
the friendship between him and 
Maude Massey presented a mark for 
her spiteful remarks and criticisms. 

At this remark of hers her com- 
panion looked at her in surprise and 
asked : “What do you mean, Max- 
ine?” 

“I mean that the relation between 
you seems quite marked of late. It 
seems that the friendship existing be- 
tween you is growing into a deeper 
affection,” she said mockingly. 

“For shame, Maxine! You do not 
know what you are talking of. Don- 
ald Morris’ life is a model for any 
young person to follow. The life 
that he lives and the influence he has 
started me in the search for the beau- 

135 


His Beautiful Life 


tiful ill this life, and to him I owe the 
fact that to-day I can truthfully say 
I am a Christian. He is a noble boy 
and I am glad to call him my friend. 
He is my friend, nothing more.” 

“And what if I should tell you that 
he really is no Christian; that it is 
all assumed, and that he has done 
this just to get your confidence, and 
perhaps your love?” 

“I would tell you that it was utter- 
ly false, and that his interest in me 
was due to the fact that he wanted 
me saved,” was the prompt reply. 
“Nothing that you could say would 
cause me to change my opinion of 
Donald and to believe that he is any- 
thing other than what he pretends to 
be.” 

“I guess Brother Ben knows more 
about him than you do, and he says 
that Donald Morris is no more of a 
Christian than he is an angel, and 
says that he is just pretending he is 
for personal popularity and gain.” 

136 


His Beautiful Life 


“Maxine, you know yourself that 
is untrue. Ever since your brother 
Ben insulted Lucy Carlyle and Don- 
ald took it up and made him apolo- 
gize, he has hated Donald, and with- 
out a cause. Donald Morris would 
protect you from insult as quick as 
he did Lucy, as quick as he would me 
or any one else, and you know that 
your brother was wholly to blame.” 

“I don’t know any such thing,” 
was the defiant reply, “and I don’t 
like Don Morris any too well myself, 
nor I don’t trust him much, either.” 

“I am sorry, Maxine, that this has 
come up between us. We don’t want 
to quarrel, for that is not right; let 
up drop this subject and forget all 
our words. Time will tell what Don- 
ald really is; if he is not in earnest 
he cannot keep up the deception 
long, but if he is the Christian that 
he appears to be, and that I believe 
him to be, he will grow better as he 
grows older, and time will prove that 

137 


His Beautiful Life 


you are wrong in yout* judgment of 
him.” 

One day when Donald came into 
the schoolhouse, he found Maxine 
Elliott sitting in the room by herself 
working at a problem in her algebra 
which seemed to be giving her some 
trouble. 

As he entered the room she looked 
up and said petulantly: “I do wish 
J didn’t have to study this horrid old 
algebra ! Here I have worked at this 
problem four times and have failed 
every time. I just hate it!” 

“Let me help you,” said Donald, 
as he crossed over to where she sat. 

She handed him the book without 
a word and sat watching him as he 
worked. 

In a few minutes he had it solved 
and, handing her the paper, said: 
“There ! I think you will understand 
that now. It is simple after we get 
it untangled, isn’t it?” 

138 


His Beautiful Life 


“I suppose you mean it is simple 
to any one who has sense enough to 
understand it, don’t you ?” she asked 
sneeringly. 

Without a word Donald arose and 
started toward the door, but before 
he reached it he seemed to change 
his mind, for he turned abruptly and 
came and sat down by her side again. 

Looking at her searchingly, he 
said : “Maxine, I wish to ask you a 
question. I want to know why you 
do not like me, and why you persist 
in misunderstanding me as you do. 
Have I ever mistreated you any way, 
or have I ever done anything you 
could not sanction as right?” 

She flushed and looked embar- 
rassed, and finally said it wasn’t a 
fair question. 

“I beg your pardon, Maxine, but 
I see nothing unfair about it at all. 
I have always tried to treat you right 
— tried to treat you just as I have 

139 


His Beautiful Life 


other girls, just as I would my own 
sister if I had any. 

“You know I did not mean to say 
you did not understand that problem 
because you did not have sense 
enough. Such a thought never en- 
tered my mind, and if it had I trust 
that I have more respect for a lady 
than to have said so.” 


140 


CHAPTER XIV. 

Donald's honor. 

“Maxine, Christ bade me love my 
fellow-men; I am trying to follow 
Plis leaching, and I want you to be 
my friend. I know you have, for 
some reason, never liked me, but if 
you will be my friend I will try to 
prove myself worthy of your friend- 
ship and that I am what I pretend to 
be.” 

“Whenever I want your friendship 
1 will let you know,” she said rudely 
,and somewhat coldly, and without 
another word she walked away. 

Donald watched her a moment as 
she walked away and then turned 
and strode from the room. 

lie could not understand this girl ; 
she was a puzzle to him. 

He wanted them to be friends be- 
cause he felt it was his duty, and 
while her manner was very rude he 

141 


His Beautiful Life 

bore her no ill-will; he was only 
disappointed in her and sorry, sin- 
cerely sorry, that she had acted in 
such a manner. 

He saw in her the spirit that Christ 
so strongly condemned, and he knew 
that the life she was living was not 
the Christ-life. 

A few weeks after this, quarterly 
conference was held at the church, 
and it was decided to organize a Sun- 
day School at that place. 

For some time the pastor had 
been urging upon the people of the 
community the need of a Sunday 
School, and it was decided to organ- 
ize one immediately. 

When the time came to select a 
superintendent one of the deacons 
of the church arose and said that he, 
with a goodly number of others, had 
talked of the matter of electing a 
superintendent, and that all had 
agreed Donald Morris was the one to 
fill the office. 


142 


His Beautiful Life 


Donald was very much surprised 
at being mentioned in connection 
with occupying of this responsi- 
ble position, and he arose to protest. 

“Brethren,” he said, “I fully ap- 
preciate the confidence you have in 
me, which is manifested by the desire 
to place me as superintendent, but I 
wish to say this : I do not feel that 
I am competent to conduct a Sunday 
School as it should be conducted, and 
I respectfully suggest that some one 
else be placed in that position. 

“I do not say this because I wish 
to get out of the work which would 
necessarily devolve upon me as su- 
perintendent, but because there are 
older men here who have a better 
knowledge of how to conduct a Sun- 
day School and who could, I think, 
fill the place with much more ability 
than I.” 

When he had finished and sat 
down, the brother said : “Heretofore 
when we would try to run a Sunday 

143 


His Beautiful Life 


School here, some of us older fellows 
have been superintendent, and we 
have never had a Sunday Schqol that 
was a success. You are a young man 
of ability and educational advantages 
and well-liked by everybody, and we 
think you are the proper one for the 
place. 

“Through you we hope to reach 
the young people and get them inter- 
ested, and we believe your influence 
over the young people of the commu- 
nity will be a great benefit to the 
Sunday School.” 

After this Donald said no more. 

Perhaps they were right about 
this. 

He might have more influence 
over the young people than an older 
person. 

Perhaps God would bless his ef- 
forts and he would be able to bring 
some of them, at least, to Christ, so 
he said : “Since it is your wish that 
I act as superintendent, I will corn- 

144 


His Beautiful Life 


ply with your wishes and, with God’s 
help, I will exert every power I pos- 
sess for good, and will do my best to 
make the Sunday School a suc- 
cess.” 

Little did he dream then of the 
fruit that his labor in this work was 
to bring forth. 

So the next Sunday at prayer- 
meeting it was announced by Donald 
that on the following Sunday they 
would organize a Sunday School. 

Donald was very anxious to get 
started in this work, so the following 
week seemed very long to him in his 
anxiety. 

When Sunday finally came he was 
at the church promptly at the ap- 
pointed time and found a good crowd 
present. 

He at once called the house to or- 
der and before beginning to organize 
he made a very appropriate address, 
setting forth the purpose and mission 

145 


His Beautiful Life 


of the Sunday School, and closed by 
asking all who would to join. 

Inspired by his talk, nearly all of 
the young. people joined, as did most 
of the older ones. 

Altogether, it was a good begin- 
ning and Donald was highly pleased. 

While he was organizing the 
classes, Donald was also anxiously 
watching Maxine Elliott, and while 
he had no idea she would join, yet 
he intended to ask her to do so, and 
he was surprised, but glad, neverthe- 
less, when she came forward and 
said she wished to join. 

Maude Massey was there also and 
joined. 

She and Donald were very inti- 
mate friends now, and each was very 
much interested in the other, al- 
though each thought the other knew 
nothing of it. 

While she and Donald belonged 
to different churches, yet there seem- 
ed to be an indescribable bond be- 

146 


His Beautiful Life 


tween them which was growing 
stronger each day. 

Donald’s New Testament story of 
Christianity has awakened in her 
mind a very serious question concern- 
ing herself. 

She has seen something in him 
that she realizes she does not possess, 
and a spirit of inquiry has come into 
her. 

His constant study of the Bible, 
his daily walking in the footsteps of 
the Man of Galilee, has created a 
hungering in her heart for that calm 
peace that characterizes his life, and 
she is now a constant reader of the 
Word also, and in her home a great 
difference is observed in her life. 

Her father said to her mother one 
day: “Maude has changed more in 
the last few months than any girl I 
ever observed.” 

They did not know that every 
night she asked God to make her life 

147 


His Beautiful Life 

more beautiful and to lead her into 
all truth and righteousness. 

Her father did not know, but her 
mother, with a mother’s keen intui- 
tion, suspected that the idea of the 
beautiful in the life of Donald Morris 
has cast a charm over the life of 
their daughter. 

How true is the old saying that 
“like begets like.” 

Associations mould and shape des- 
tinies, whether for good or bad. 

Darkness cannot be displaced with 
darkness, but it can be displaced with 
light. 

Sin cannot be displaced with sin, 
but it can be displaced with right- 
eousness. 

Whenever parents and Christian 
people begin to believe that the life 
of Jesus Christ is a livable reality and 
that every day they can follow in His 
footsteps and live His teachings, then 
they will have children like Donald 
Morris to bless and sanctify the home 

148 


His Beautiful Life 


and cast a hallowed influence over 
the lives of others. 

Would to God that more of our 
Christian people could see this great 
truth and live the life that Christ 
would have us live! 


149 


CHAPTER XV. 


TWO LETTERS. 

One day Donald came into the 
house and handed his mother a letter 
which bore the postmark of a town 
in Mississippi. 

On opening it she 3aw it was from 
her brother, Oliver Davis, and as she 
read a look of deepest concern spread 
over her face, and when she had fin- 
ished reading she handed the letter 
to Donald without a word, but he 
saw by the look on her face that it 
contained painful news. 

That the reader may comprehend 
the nature of the letter, we will quote 
a few words just as they appeared to 
Donald as he read. 

“As I write this letter to-day I am 
sad and lonely. I had thought to be 
able to write you of my happiness, 
but I can only write of my sadness. 

150 


His Beautiful Life 


This is Sunday and was to have been 
the happiest day of my life, but, 
alas! it is the saddest. 

“To-day I was to have wed one of 
the most beautiful women the sun 
ever shone upon, but instead of that 
to-day I am unmarried, a ruined and 
broken-hearted man. As I look about 
me, it seems that everything is happy 
but me. The sun is shining bright- 
ly ; the birds are warbling and strain- 
ing their little throats in notes of 
gladness; the bees seem to hum in 
quiet delight, and the gorgeous col- 
ored flowers wave joyfully in the 
breeze, and as I look upon these 
things it seems that they are trying 
to mock me in my sadness, and I 
wonder why God permits me to be 
so unhappy with all this beauty 
around me. 

“At the last moment the one that 
I loved and trusted and was to have 
wed broke her sacred promise to me, 
and nevermore will I have any con- 

151 


His Beautiful Life 


fidence in women. She seemed an 
angel almost ; I trusted her implicit- 
ly, but she betrayed that trust, and 
though the God of my destiny may 
will that I live to be an old man, yet 
I will never call any woman my wife. 

“My life is ruined and will never- 
more be anything but an empty shell, 
a life without hope, love or gladness. 
I shall go away, and perhaps the pain 
of the sting may lessen with the com- 
ing of the years, but I can never for- 
get her or this flay. 

“Perhaps in the years to come she 
will repent, but she can never be the 
same to me again. My life is wreck- 
ed forever; there is no more happi- 
ness for me, and I will die a broken- 
hearted man.” 

It was a touching letter to these 
two, sister and nephew, and they 
sympathized deeply with him. 

Mrs. Morris said it made her very 
said to think of her brother’s blighted 
happiness, but Donald told her that 

152 


His Beautiful Life 


he. would not be so bitterly desolate 
after the first grief wore away. 

Said he : “That Uncle Oliver has 
put his trust in earthly things is 
shown very clearly by the contents of 
this letter; he broods bitterly over 
the fact that he has lost his love, as 
he callS|her, without ever thinking 
that there is a God who could help 
him in his distress if he would only 
put hjs trust in Him and ask Him to 
do so. 

“The idea of him saying that the 
birds and bees and flowers were try- 
ing to mock him when they were 
God’s gift to cheer him in his sad- 
ness, and to think that he says his 
confidence is shaken in women just 
because this one happened not to care 
enough for him to marry him! I 
suppose he has forgotten that he has 
a mother and a sister. 

“If he is going to let this wreck 
his life, I should say it is very easily 
wrecked.” 


153 


His Beautiful Life 


“Donald, you have had no experi- 
ence such as his, and you cannot 
know the bitter disappointment he 
has to bear, so let us not condemn 
him, but sympathize with him and 
send him a letter of encouragement 
and good cheer to revive his droop- 
ing spirits.” 

“Yes, mother, I know just how he 
feels, or I think I do, although, as 
you say, I have had no experience 
along this line; but with all respect 
for you and all ladies, I must say 
that there is not and never was a 
woman who could wreck my life by 
refusing to marry me. 

“God says for us to worship Him 
and not earthly idols, and while she 
might be very dear to me and the dis- 
appointment very hard to bear, yet I 
would trust in God to heal the wound 
in my heart and would still be a man. 
I would learn to bear my suffering 
silently, but let it wreck my life — 
never !” 


154 


His Beautiful Life 


“But perhaps he did not mean that 
his life was wrecked in the manner 
you speak of. He might have meant 
that he could never be happy again 
or have any hope of such happiness 
as he expected,” said Donald’s 
mother. 

“Which is almost the same as a 
wrecked life,” said Donald, “for a 
life without happiness, love and joy 
cannot be far from being a wreck. 

“When men learn that happiness 
does not come from earthly things, 
but from God, then this idea of a life 
wrecked by earthly sorrows will van- 
ish.” 

Donald’s mother said no more on 
this point, for she realized that her 
son was undoubtedly correct in what 
he said, but she told him she wished 
to write to her brother at once and 
wanted him to write, too, so he went 
tc his room at once and prepared to 
write. 


155 


His Beautiful Life 

For the reader’s benefit we will re- 
produce a part of Donald’s letter to 
his uncle : 

“I was very, very sorry to hear 
of your unhappiness, and I sympa- 
thize with you deeply; but with all 
respect for you as my uncle, I wish 
to impress upon you some facts 
which you seem to have entirely 
overlooked. 

“Surely you have forgotten that 
your mother and sisters are ladies 
when you say you have lost all con- 
fidence in women, or did you mean 
to exclude them? Let me tell you 
plainly, Uncle Oliver, that woman is 
God’s most precious gift to man, and 
to-day there are millions who are as 
noble and pure as the dewdrop on 
the rose, and you have no right, ab- 
solutely none, to blame all women for 
one woman’s deception. It is un- 
noble, unchivalrous and ungentle- 
manly. 


156 


His Beautiful Life 


“I can tell you how to forget and 
forgive. 

“To-day there is a God who is 
watching over your destiny who is 
grieved because of the life you are 
leading. If you would only trust in 
His wonderful power to save, He 
would heal your ‘broken heart’ and 
give you power to see something 
good and noble in life yet. He is the 
only one to whom we can go for com- 
fort in time of distress, and until you 
have felt the power of His almighty 
hand and of His love and care, you 
cannot know the joy, happiness and 
great beauty of the true life in Jesus 
Christ. 

“It is so sweet just to trust in Him 
who said, ‘It is I, be not afraid,’ and 
to know that the favor of Almighty 
God is upon you and that you are 
one of the elect or chosen of God. 

“You are a comparatively young 
man, capable of making something 
of yourself yet other than what you 

157 


His Beautiful Life 


are; then let me plead with you to 
put your trust in the Father, to take 
a new hold on life, to start anew 
and live a different life to what you 
have been living. 

“Look at the influence you could 
have for God and right, just as easy 
as you could have an influence for 
wrong, and how much better it 
would be! To live a life of sin is to 
acknowledge that death is the end of 
our life and that the grave is our 
eternal resting place. 

“Can you believe it ? Can you be- 
lieve that God has provided no place 
for us beyond the blue of the sky, 
where we can live through the pale 
of eternity with Him ? No, it cannot 
be. The grave is only the portal 
which separates this life from the 
eternal life with God. 

“ ‘Death, like a dream, divides this earth 
From heaven’s shining dome; 

Beyond this life, in beauty lies 
The soul’s eternal home.’ 

158 


His Beautiful Life 


“It cannot be that God would 
create such a wonderful thing as 
man, inspire and guide him through 
this life, delude him with the hope 
and promise of another and more 
beautiful life, and then let the grave 
be the end of that hope and promise. 

“Again, let me ask you to be a 
man in every sense that the word 
implies, and to stand steadfast the re- 
maining years of your life for God 
and right, so that in the sunset of 
your existence you can go down life’s 
declining pathway with the assurance 
that the wonderful and beautiful 
promise of your God will soon be ful- 
filled unto you.” 

This letter, written to arouse all 
that was good and noble in his uncle, 
came like a ray of sunshhine to this 
desolate man and, as Donald had 
hoped, spurred him to a new determi- 
nation and purpose. 

In a few days a second letter came 
to Mrs. Morris, and in that letter 
were these words to Donald : 

159 


His Beautiful Life 


“Your letter has changed the 
course of my life; you have given 
hope to a hopeless, and cheer to a 
cheerless man, and, like a burst of 
sunshine from behind a frowning 
cloud, my duty has been revealed to 
me. You have inspired me when in- 
spiration was most needed ; you have 
revealed to me the cause of greatness 
in your life, and putting my trust in 
the same God that you have, I will 
endeavor to find the hidden beauty of 
life, which you seem to have so com- 
pletely found and enjoy.” 

With tears of gladness in his eyes, 
Donald sought the solitude of his 
room and, kneeling, thanked God 
that through his effort Oliver Davis 
had been brought into a realization 
and enjoyment of the reward which 
God has promised unto His faithful, 
the righteous. 


160 


CHAPTER XVI. 

DONALD DECIDES TO WRITE A BOOK. 

One day at play-time Donald stood 
idly tapping one of the school-room 
windows. 

Indoors it was warm and cheerful ; 
outdoors a regular Texas norther 
was blowing, cold and cheerless. The 
stiff wind swayed the bare tree-tops 
and the windows rattled and shook. 

Gray, murky clouds hung low and 
threatening. 

The sun had not shown all day ex- 
cept for a few moments at a time, 
when it would break through a rift 
in the clouds, and then it was always 
swallowed up again. 

For some reason Maude Massey 
was not at school that day, and it was 
of her that Donald was thinking as 
he stood thumping the window and 
looking at the cheerless clouds drift 
slowly southward. 

161 


*i^ri 


His Beautiful Life 


He remembered that she had told 
him a few days before she had a new 
book she wished him to read, and so 
he determined to go by after school 
and get the book. 

Accordingly, after school was dis- 
missed, he hastened toward her 
home, and when he arrived there he 
was met at the door by Maude her- 
self, who led him into the room 
where a cheerful fire was blazing in 
the open grate. 

She explained her absence at 
school by saying her mother had been 
sick all day. 

“Her head has been paining her 
dreadfully,” she said, “and I could 
not leave her. She is resting better 
now and it is possible I may go to 
school to-morrow. I hate to lose a 
day and get behind my class, but I 
will do it before mother shall work 
when she is not able.” 

Donald commended her for her 
words, and then told her he wished 

162 


His Beautiful Life 


to get the book she had promised to 
lend him. She left the room for a 
moment and then returned, bringing 
a pretty little volume with her. 

“I think you will get some very 
beautiful and helpful thoughts from 
this,” she said as she handed it to 
Donald. 

“I hope that I may,” he said as 
he took it in his hands, “for I do 
like to read books that will elevate 
my mind and give me beautiful 
thoughts to feed upon.” 

He then took his departure and, 
through the driving blast and gather- 
ing gloom, hurried homeward. 

“Why were you so late this even- 
ing, Donald?” asked Mrs. Morris as 
he entered her room. 

“I came by Mr. Massey’s, mother. 
Maude wasn’t at school to-day, so I 
came by to see why, and to get this 
book she promised to lend me. 

“I found Mrs. Massey very sick 
and suffering considerable with her 
head.” 


163 


His Beautiful Life 


“I must go to see her, then, as soon 
as the weather will permit — to-mor- 
row, if possible,” said Mrs. Morris. 

After supper Donald found him a 
cozy chair and, settling himself com- 
fortably, he prepared to read the bor- 
rowed book. 

It was a religious book, written by 
a noted Baptist minister, he saw, and 
he was sure he would lind much food 
for thought from it. 

As he read chapter after chapter, 
he found it absorbingly interesting, 
and, without noticing the time, he 
.read on and on until drowsiness told 
him it was time to retire and, looking 
at his watch, he was surprised that it 
lacked only a few minutes of twelve 
o’clock. 

Turning rapidly through the book, 
he saw he lacked only two chapters 
of being through, and decided to fin- 
ish it before he retired. 

In another twenty minutes the 
book was finished and, with a sigh of 

164 


His Beautiful Life 


regret that it was finished, he laid 
it away and went to bed. 

After he was in bed he gave him- 
self up to thought, even if it was 
a late hour, and pondered over what 
he had read. 

The book was the story of a boy 
born of Christian parents and con- 
verted to Christ at the age of eleven 
years. His father gave his life to 
his country in the great sectional 
conflict, the Civil War, and his moth- 
er died soon after, when he was noth- 
ing more than a baby. 

Taken by one of his relatives to 
raise, the story of his noble father 
and gentle, Christian mother cast a 
hallowed influence over him and he 
early gave his life to God. 

All through his career he was ever 
searching for the beautiful. When 
a boy his motto was, “I am searching 
for the beautiful redeemed life 
through Jesus Christ,” and no ob- 
stacle, no discouragement nor disap- 

165 


His Beautiful Life 


pointment could ever turn him from 
his search, and at last, after toil, 
hard study and self-sacrifice, God 
crowned his efforts by calling him to 
the ministry of His Son. 

It was a most touching story of 
love and devotion to Christ, and 
Donald was . surprised to note how 
nearly identical this boy’s life was to 
his own in many respects. It seemed 
that the same light that guided this 
boy was guiding him, and that the 
same principle of love, duty and right 
that was so strongly apparent in this 
boy’s life was also manifested in his 
own, and before he closed his eyes in 
slumber he left his bed and, kneeling, 
asked God to grant that his own life 
might be as had that of the orphan 
boy of whom he had read. 

Was that prayer answered? Was 
it heard by the Ruler of his destiny ? 

If that question is in your mind, 
gentle reader, let me say that before 
you have finished the story of his life, 

166 


His Beautiful Life 


I think you will agree with me that 
it was heard and answered and that 
God’s promise was fulfilled in this 
boy, even as it was in the boy of 
whom he had read. 

A few days after this, on Sunday, 
Donald was talking with Maude 
upon the merits of her book, and 
said : “It is the most beautiful and 
touching story of love and fidelity to 
Christ I have ever read, and I must 
say that it has inspired me to a 
grander and nobler life than I have 
been able to attain heretofore. 
Maude, reading that book has de- 
cided me to write one myself. I may 
not be able to produce one as good 
as the one I have just read, but I do 
believe that I can write one that will 
not' be entirely devoid of interest or 
that will be an absolute failure. ” 

His little friend’s eyes sparkled 
and she clapped her hands together 
in delight. 


167 


His Beautiful Life 


“Oh, Donald, it would be grand to 
think of you writing a book like this. 
But I have all the confidence in the 
world in your ability, and I believe 
you can do it.” 

“At any rate, I am going to try it ; 
my mind is fully made up, and I shall 
start it at once,” said Donald. 

“It will be a religious book, will it 
not?” she asked. 

“Yes, for I would write no other 
kind,” he answered. 

When Mrs. Morris read the book 
she was impressed with it almost as 
much as Donald had been. One day 
she was surprised when he asked: 
“Mother, what would you think if I 
were to tell you that I was going to 
write a book similar to the one we 
have just read?” 

She looked at him and said: “I 
hardly know, my son. Do you think 
you could write one that would be 
a success?” 


168 


His Beautiful Life 


“Yes, mother, I feel confident that 
I can. I have planned it like this : It 
will be a history or story of my expe- 
rience in life, both before and after I 
was converted, and also a prophecy 
of what my future life, as I believe 
and feel sure, will be. 

“Of course, it will be disguised, 
and I feel sure I can make an inter- 
esting story of it without any one 
ever knowing that it is myself I am 
writing about.” 

‘^Very well, my son; if you can 
do it, go ahead and write it. I am 
sure you believe you can write a good 
book or you would never attempt 
such a thing.” 

“Indeed I believe I can, mother. 
I shall begin it right away, and I do 
not think you will be disappointed in 
it,” he said. 

This book, which he began soon, 
was destined to not only increase the 
admiration his friends had for him, 
but it was to do untold good in plac- 

169 


His Beautiful Life 


ing before the public a book that 
teemed with good advice and influ- 
ence upon the subject of Christianity 
and that was to carry to the masses 
a vivid picture of the wonderful 
beauty and happiness of the redeem- 
ed life through Christ Jesus. 

If his book was a success it would 
bring him enough money, and per- 
haps more, to carry him through 
college. 

His, education had not been com- 
pleted yet ; it would take two years 
hard studying to finish his educa- 
tion as he wished it finished. 

His parents were not wealthy by 
any means, and if he could make 
enough that way to only take him 
through college, it would be a big 
help. 

We will not try to follow him all 
the way through the writing of it, 
but before the story of his life is fin- 
ished we will show the result of his 
labor. 


170 


CHAPTER XVII. 

A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH. 

Tell me, ye teachers of children, 
how do you feel when, on the last 
day of school, you stand before your 
boys and girls and realize that it is. 
perhaps, the last time you will ever 
instruct them in the school-room, ct 
maybe it is the last time you will 
ever see them in this life? 

Does there not come a feeling of 
sadness in your heart as you think 
that you must part with these chil- 
dren with whom you have been as- 
sociated and have learned to love — 
perhaps with some of them forever? 

You have done your best; you 
have tried patiently to teach them 
honor and purity, truth and right- 
eousness, and as you look into their 
eager faces and see reflected there 
the love you have for them, you real- 
ize that they have grown very dear 

171 


His Beautiful Life 


to you.' Some of them have tried to 
follow your teachings; others have 
not, and as you see that some of them 
are, perhaps, not saved you blame 
yourself that you did not make a 
greater effort, did not try harder to 
reach their hearts with the happiness 
and sunshine of salvation. 

Only the ages of eternity will re- 
veal what you have stamped upon the 
hearts and minds of these children, 
and time alone will reveal the result 
of your labor. 

As Donald Morris stood before 
his pupils and told them that perhaps 
it was the last time he could ever 
call them his school children, all the 
love he had for them and all the 
earnestness of his nature blended to- 
gether and from his face there shone 
that indescribable something which 
touches the responsive chord in the 
other heart, the heart of the listener, 
and as he told them for the last time 
of the great beauty and sublimity of 

172 


His Beautiful Life 


t he Christian life and of the great 
reward they could expect to receive 
if they were faithful to the Master 
and their trust, and, last, of the great 
love and honor in his heart for them, 
there glistened in more than one eye 
a bright tear, and he read through 
their faces the contents of their 
hearts, and he knew that his teach- 
ings had not all been in vain. 

For the last time he bade them 
stand and, with reverently bowed 
head, he asked that the blessings of 
Almighty God might for time and 
eternity be upon them. 

After they were dismissed they 
crowded around him to grasp his 
hand and tell him good-bye. 

It was a very earnest and solemn 
moment for Donald, this parting, and 
when one little blue-eyed girl said, 
as she caught his hand, “Teacher, I 
know I haven’t been a good girl all 
the time, but I didn’t do it for mean- 
ness, for I love you,” he could not 

173 


His Beautiful Life 


trust , himself to speak, but just 
squeezed her hand a little harder and 
smiled into her trusting blue eyes. 

“Foolishness and nonsense/' did 
you say? 

I say, no. I honor and admire the 
teacher who commands the love and 
admiration of his pupils until they 
will show it in such a way, and the 
right kind of a teacher will never 
fail to have such a scene at the close 
of his school, which, if he does, will 
amply repay him for the long hours 
of worry and harassing cares that he 
is subject to as teacher. 

No one who is not a teacher knows 
anything of the feelings in Donald’s 
heart that evening as he walked 
homeward. He remembered the res- 
olution he had made on the first 
morning of school and he persuaded 
himself that he had partly, if not 
wholly, carried out that resolution. 

He had done his best and he would 
leave the rest to God and His mercy. 

174 


His Beautiful Life 

In a few days there came from Ok- 
lahoma a letter to Donald wanting 
him to accept the principalship of a 
large school there at a good salary. 
He showed it to his parents, saying 
he did not know what to do in the 
matter. 

All that day he studied about what 
would be best for him to do. He 
•knew it meant money enough to go 
to college for a year if he accepted it, 
but, on the other hand, he knew that 
if he left, his father would have to 
get a hand in his place. 

The chance of getting a hand was 
very slim, and if he could get one 
he could not take Donald’s place, and 
it would put many inconveniences 
upon his mother as well as his father. 

When night came he was as far 
from a decision as he had been in 
the morning, and told his parents so. 

He knew they wourd make the sac- 
rifice and let him go if he wanted to, 

175 


His Beautiful Life 


but would it be right for them to sac- 
rifice themselves further for his sake ? 

That night he prayed for divine 
guidance in the matter as he knelt 
at his bedside, and when he arose 
from prayer he knew that his duty 
was at home and to his parents, for 
the present at least. 

He announced his decision- the 
next morning at the breakfast table. 
Their objections did not change his 
mind, and they gave in, as he knew 
they would, for he knew they real- 
ized the burden it would lay upon 
them should he leave. 

One evening as Mrs. Morris sat 
sewing Donald came into the room 
where she was. He pulled a chair 
up close to hers and sat down. She 
knew by the sober, earnest look on 
his face that he had something he 
wished to tell her, and knowing he 
would tell it when he got ready for 
her to know, she waited in silence 
for him to speak. At last he spoke: 

176 


His Beautiful Life 


“Mother, I want to talk to you 
about something that is bothering me 
a great deal. It is about Maxine El- 
liott. You know I told you about 
how she has always treated me, and 
especially that day at school when I 
tried to be friends with her. 

“She joined our Sunday School, 
comes regular, and always has good 
lessons, yet the divine truths in those 
lessons do not seem to reach her 
heart, do not make any impression 
upon her whatever, and she is just 
the same indifferent, unheeding girl 
that she was when she joined, and I 
see no way to get her to change.” 

“Have you talked with her any 
about it?” 

“No, mother; she seems to have 
such an utter contempt or dislike — 
almost hatred — for me that I have 
not attempted to talk to her any.” 

“ ‘Ye shall be hated of all men for 
my sake/ ” his mother quoted. “I 
would not be discouraged because 

177 


His Beautiful Life 


she had given me such rebuff. You 
cannot expect to win souls to Christ 
without first having many fears and 
disappointments. Go to her and 
plead Christ’s cause ; show her where 
she is doing wrong and tell her what 
her duty is. Never stop until you 
have won her to God. She may be a 
diamond in the rough, and her soul 
is as precious in the Master’s sight 
as yours or mine.” 

“I will do it, mother. I had al- 
most given her up, but I will try 
again. To-morrow is the day of all 
days in which to talk with her. If 
I cannot touch her heart on Easter 
with the hallowed memories that 
cluster around it, I fear that her 
heart cannot be touched.” 

“May God bless your effort, my 
son,” his mother said as he arose and 
left the room. 

The next day was Sunday, Easter 
Sunday, and it dawned clear and 
bright. 


178 


His Beautiful Life 


A crisp breeze was blowing from 
the north, and there was no sign of 
a cloud to mar the blue of the heav- 
ens. 

Mocking birds swung from sway- 
ing boughs and the echo of their 
voices vibrated through the air in 
notes of gladness. 

The air was heavily laden with the 
sweet perfume of many flowers; all 
the earth seemed alive with joy and 
gladness. And why? Was not this 
the day on which the blessed Master 
rose from the grave and conquered 
death ? Was not the hallowed mem - 
ory of it enough to make one joyful ? 

Donald started to church quite 
early that morning. He wished to 
be there before any one else; to be 
alone in God’s house and think of 
the blessedness of Christ’s resurrec- 
tion and of what it all meant to him. 

As he walked along in deep medi- 
tation, he recalled those sweet verses 
of Easter he had thought so pretty 
that he memorized them : 

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His Beautiful Life 


“Oh, fair as the splendor of lilies. 

And sweet as the violet’s breath. 
Comes the jubilant morning of Easter, 

A triumph of life over death; 

For fresh from the earth’s quickened 
bosom, 

Fresh tributes of flowers we bring, 

And scatter their satin-soft petals 
To carpet a path for our King. 

“We have groped through the twilight 
of sorrow, 

Have tasted the Marah of tears; 

But, lo, in the gray of the dawning 
Breaks the hope of our lcng-silent 
years! 

And the love and the lost we thought 
perished, 

Who vanished afar in the night, 

Will return in the beauty of Eastertime 
To beam on ’ our rapturous sight. 

“Sweet Easter-tide pledges their coming, 
Serene beyond trouble and toil, 

As the lily upsprings in its freshness 
From the warm, throbbing heart of 
the soil; 

And after all partings, reunion; 

And after all wanderings, home; 

O here is the balm for our heartache, 

As up to our Easter we come! 

“In the countless green blades of the 
meadow, 

The sheen of the daffodil’s gold, 


His Beautiful Life 


In the tremulous blue on the mountains, 
The opaline mist on the wold; 

In the tinkle of brooks through the pas- 
ture, 1 * tlj 

The river’s strong sweep to the sea, 
Are signs of the day that is hasting 
In gladness to you and to me. 

“So dawn in thy splendor of lilies, 

Thy fluttering violet breath, 

O jubilant morning of Easter, 

Thou triumph of life over death! 

For fresh from the earth’s quickened 
bosom 

Fresh tributes of flowers we bring. 
And scatter their satin-soft petals 
To carpet a path for our King.” 


181 


CHAPTER XVIII. 


EASTER. 

When Donald reached the church 
he found, as he expected, that he was 
the first one there. 

He sat down in the preacher’s 
chair in the pulpit and looked about 
him. 

“Ah,” he mused, “if these old 
walls could talk to-day, what a story 
they could tell ! Stories of grand and 
eloquent sermons ; stories of conver- 
sions, of love and pathos and fidelity 
to Christ. Speak, ye aged walls, and 
tell the secrets that are hidden in 
your bosom !” 

But no, it could not be ; the scenes 
they had witnesseed were kept in 
mute silence, never to be divulged 
unless by human lips. 

He wondered if the time would 
ever come in his life when he would 


182 


His Beautiful Life 


stand in that pulpit and preach the 
gospel of Christ. 

Dear reader, let me tell you a se- 
cret that no one but Donald knew — 
I a secret that you have hitherto not 
known. 

For several months there had been 
a feeling in Donald Morris’ heart, 
insistent, deep-rooted, earnest, that 
the time was soon coming in his life 
when he would be called of God to 
the ministry of His Son. 

This feeling was growing daily, 
becoming stronger and more deeply 
impressed upon him, and he was sure 
this was his life-work and was wait- 
ing for God to reveal unto him His 
will. 

He had told no one of his convic- 
tions, not even his parents; he was 
waiting in silence and in faith for the 
call he was sure he would receive. 

How long he sat thus in thought 
Donald did not know, but presently 
the congregation began to assemble 

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His Beautiful Life 


and he left his seat to talk to some 
of his young friends. 

When the time to open Sunday 
School arrived, Donald rose and said 
he wished Jo say a few words before 
beginning with the lesson. He stated 
that, as all knew, the lesson was on 
the resurrection of Christ and that 
he felt compelled to make a few re- 
marks upon the lesson and some 
events preceding it. 

“Dear friends,” said he, “can you 
look about you to-day in the glorious 
sunlight and see the great beauties 
of nature; can you see the manifold 
blessings of God; can you bring to 
mind this blessed Sabbath without 
associating it with a most hallowed 
event .that occurred many hundred 
years ago? 

“Over nineteen centuries ago, in the 
.city of Jerusalem occurred the event 
that has given men the promise that 
through the resurrection of Christ 
we shall also rise again, and that our 

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His Beautiful Life 


bodies of humiliation will be fashion- 
ed anew, that it may be conformed 
tc the body of His glory according to 
the workings whereby he is able to 
subject all things unto himself. It 
is a grand and glorious story, grown 
old through time, yet it is as sweet 
to-day as it was centuries ago ; it can 
never be anything else, and will con- 
tinue to be proclaimed by man as the 
most hallowed and sacred promise 
until time shall vanish into eternity. 
Let us go back to the first, to-day, 
and review briefly the story from 
beginning to end, that we may better 
understand the wonderful lesson we 
have for to-day.” 

Beginning with the creation of the 
world, Donald drew a wonderfully 
vivid and eloquent picture of man's 
first estate, the Edenic home. 

With burning words of eloquence 
and with his face aflame with his 
earnestness, he pictured this paradise, 
this veritable dreamland, glowing, as 

185 


His Beautiful Life 


it must have been, with ineffable 
beauty. 

Then a picture of man’s condition 
after the paradise was lost through 
the sin of Adam and Eve. 

Oh, the pathos of that sad loss ! It 
has freighted the air of the ages with 
its tremulous sadness, and through 
the first sin man has lost what he 
can never regain in this life. It was 
paradise lost. 

Then he told the sweet story of 
Christ’s coming, of His wonderful 
works, of the glorious message that 
He brought, and, last he told how, 
through Christ, the paradise might 
be regained and man have the same 
power and majesty that God intend- 
ed him to have. 

It was vivid, forceful and elo- 
quent, and when he had finished for 
a few moments there was a silence 
of death, and more than one hand 
brushed a tear furtively from an eye. 

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His Beautiful Life 


His teachers caught his spirit of 
enthusiasm and earnestness and ev- 
ery one went away feeling that they 
had been benefited, and those who 
were followers of Christ felt that 
they had been brought very near the 
Master. 

As Donald passed out at the door 
Maxine Elliott was standing on the 
step. He asked if he might walk 
home with her, as he had something 
he wished to say to her, and togeth- 
er they walked away. 

Before Donald had time to bring 
up the subject in his mind Maxine 
looked steadily at him with her dark 
eyes and, with a voice full of earnest- 
ness, said : “Donald, I know that 
after I have treated you as I have 
I have no right to ask your forgive- 
ness or to believe that you could ever 
like me, for I can see how shame- 
fully I have treated you. 

“I am going to tell you all to-day, 
and in your goodness of heart I be- 
lieve you will forgive me. 

187 


His Beautiful Life 


“I am ashamed to say that I have 
tried my best not to like you and to 
believe that you were not what you 
pretended to be, but your honesty, 
integrity and spotless character and 
the record you established have 
convinced me that I was wrong, and 
now I stand convicted, and ask you 
to forgive me if you can find for- 
giveness in your heart for me. 

“Your Christian life and the hap- 
piness you seem to enjoy has stirred 
within me a longing for a better and 
purer life, and of late I ask the Fath- 
er nightly to change my life and 
mould it like yours.” 

Her voice held a note of pleading 
that Donald did not fail to note, and 
he said earnestly: “Maxine, if you 
have done anything that calls for my 
forgiveness, I forgive you gladly. I 
have prayed that I might lead you to 
a higher and better life, and if I have 
exerted any influence over you for 
good, I am sincerely glad. If I could 

188 


Iiis Beautiful Life 

not forgive you, how could I expect 
God to forgive me my trespasses 
against him ? 

“I cannot expect for everybody to 
like me, for Christ said His follow- 
ers should be hated above all men, 
and that by patience we should win 
sinful souls to Him. Maxine, let me 
pray that you may become stronger 
in your conviction and that you may 
daily grow in grace and favor of God 
and at last receive the rest and peace 
for which your heart is longing.” 

She turned to him, her eyes aglow, 
and said : “Others may speak ill 
against you and mistreat you, but 
never again will I. I feel that I have 
had coals of fire heaped upon my 
head and that I can never do enough 
to make up for the way I have treat- 
ed you.” 

“Do not think of that any more,” 
he said. “Let us forget the past and 
look to the future. I am willing 

189 


His Beautiful Life 


and anxious to forget everything 
that has happened and be friends.” 

They had reached her gate now 
and Donald lifted his hat to her and 
passed on, while Maxine stood 
watching him until he passed out of 
her sight. “May God forgive me for 
the way I have treated him,” she said 
to herself. “I have judged him 
wrongly; the reproach I would have 
put upon him has been flung back 
upon me by his gentlemanly, Chris- 
tian way. Oh, that I had such a spirit 
as his! After the way I have done, 
he was willing and anxious to forgive 
me and be friends.” Then she turned 
and quickly vanished into the house, 
while Donald, unconscious of her 
thoughts, walked onward, rejoicing 
in the victory he had won for his 
Master and himself. 

As soon as Donald entered his 
home his mother perceived that 
something had happened to please 
him, and she readily guessed what it 

190 


His Beautiful Life 


was, but did not say anything to him 
about it until they had sat down to 
dinner, and then she said : “My son, 
you almost preached a sermon this 
morning; I was both surprised and 
delighted. I do believe you would 
make a good preacher,” and she 
looked at him lovingly. 

Donald glanced at her quickly and 
then said : “Mother, your words re- 
call something I have been thinking 
of telling you and father for some 
time, but first I want to tell you of 
Maxine Elliott. You know, I walked 
home with her this morning, and I 
certainly was surprised when she be- 
gan talking to roe like she did. 

“She said her opinion of me had 
changed; that she now believed I 
was a Christian and what I pretend- 
ed to be. She begged my forgive- 
ness and said she wanted to, and was 
going to live a different life from 
now on, and asked me to pray for her 
that she might become a true Chris- 
tian.” 


191 


His Beautiful Life 


“So you see, my son, that if we 
will only persevere in our efforts we 
can reach the stony-hearted with the 
message of salvation and bring them 
to the Master at last.” 

“Yes, mother, and I am glad I 
made that talk this morning. I be- 
lieve it touched her heart more than 
any other thing I have done, and I 
sincerely hope and pray that she may 
begin a new life and live for Jesus.” 

“What was it you have been want- 
ing to tell us, Donald, for some 
time?” his father inquired. 

“It is about my future life,” he 
replied. “For some time I have felt 
that the time was not far when God 
would call me to the ministry of His 
Son. The feeling is growing daily; 
the conviction is stronger each day, 
and just as sure as I am here to-day 
I firmly believe that before I am 
many years older I will be preaching 
the gospel of Christ. I know I can 

192 


His Beautiful Life 


feel that there is soon to be a change 
in my life, and daily I am expecting 
the call.” 

“It is a grand and noble calling, 
my boy, and I should be happy to 
see you fill such an exalted place,” 
his father said, while Mrs. Morris 
put her arms around his neck and 
said: “May God grant that it may 
be so. Oh, how happy I would be 
to know that you had been called of 
God to fulfill His mission by the min- 
istry ! 

“I have always felt that you were 
to rise to something that was noble 
and grand, and I pray that this may 
be your life-work.” 

Said Donald : “I think that if 
God would only call me to the min- 
istry, and then give me the power 
and intellectual ability of some min- 
isters I have heard, I would be per- 
fectly happy. 

“It is not because I want to be a 
minister that I say this, but it is be- 

193 


His Beautiful Life 


cause something tells me this is to 
be my future, and I am only waiting 
and trusting in the mercy and wis- 
dom of an Almighty God to reveal 
Himself unto me.” 


19 4 


CHAPTER XIX. 


OFF FOR COLLEGE. 

When Donald had his book nearly 
completed he wrote to a large New 
York publishing company, stating 
that he was writing a religious book 
and wished to present it for their 
inspection and consideration. In a 
few days he received this reply: 

“We will be most happy to have 
you submit the manuscript for our 
inspection, and we assure you we will 
give it our most earnest considera- 
tion.” 

As soon as it was completed Don- 
ald mailed his manuscript and eager- 
ly waited for a reply from the com- 
pany. 

In about a week he came into the 
house one day with a letter in his 
hand, which he handed his mother 
and said : “It is all right. Mother, 
my book is a success. Read that.” 

195 


His Beautiful Life 

She took the letter and read : 

“Manuscript accepted. Terms en- 
closed you. We can begin publica- 
tion any time after thirty days.” 

His mother looked up with a glad 
smile. 

“I am so glad they have accepted 
it, Donald. You have worked so 
hard at it and it has taken so long 
for you to complete it.” 

“Yes, mother, and now it will give 
me the necessary means to go to col- 
lege and take the course I have been 
wanting to take so long.” 

* ****** * 

Summer, in all its loveliness, has 
passed away and autumn has taken 
its place. 

The time has almost arrived when 
Donald is to leave for college, and 
preparations are being made for the 
start. 

The superintendency of his Sun- 
day School has been turned over to 

196 


His Beautiful Life 


one of his older friends and he is 
free from all obligation. 

One week before he was to leave 
he announced at Sunday School that 
on the following Sunday night he 
would deliver a lecture at the church, 
his subject being, “Saying Good-bye 
to God.” 

The evening before he was to 
leave next morning Donald spent 
with Maude Massey. 

Donald Morris had become the 
idol of Maude Massey’s heart. No 
one knew anything about it, except 
it was her mother. 

Mrs. Massey, with a mother’s 
keen intuition, thought she had 
learned the secret of her daughter’s 
heart and she was proud that her 
young love was given to one so wor- 
thy. 

In Maude Massey’s heart there 
was a feeling that, in some way, God 
had linked their lives together and 

197 


His Beautiful Life 


that some day He would reveal it 
to Donald. 

In this faith and implicit trust in 
God she said in her heart that she 
would be content. 

She did not know that in Donald 
Morris’ heart there was the same 
feeling, and that he, likewise, was 
waiting until it should be God’s will 
that he speak and reveal to her his 
love. 

That evening he spent with her he 
made known to her the fact that he 
was impressed to dedicate his life to 
the ministry. 

She told him she was glad, that 
she had always believed he had a 
higher mission than that of a teach- 
er, and that she was sure that, with 
his bright future, he would cheer 
and brighten many more lives with 
his beautiful life, as he had already 
done. They covenanted together to 
pray for each other during their sep- 

198 


His Beautiful Life 


aration and seek the guidance of the 
Holy Spirit in all their ways. 

That night he accompanied her to 
the church where he was to lecture. 
The news of the lecture had been 
well spread over the community 
and the house was crowded to its ut- 
most capacity. 

The news of the lecture, together 
with the fact that this would be the 
last time they would see Donald in 
two years, had an irresistible influ- 
ence over his friends and nearly ev- 
ery one was tftere to hear him. 

This quiet, gentle and unassuming 
boy, with his Christian influence, 
had something about him that read- 
ily drew others to him, and he was 
held in the highest esteem by all. 

As he stood before his audience, in 
the glare of the light, in faultless 
attire, with his jet blacky hair curling 
back from his white temples, his head 
erect, his eyes flashing, Maude 
Massey, as well as many others, saw 

199 


His Beautiful Life 


in him tbeir ideal of a true and per- 
fect man. 

His eyes penetrated the souls of all 
upon whom they fell. He stretched 
cut his arms to his listeners and they 
stretched out their arms to him. The 
magnetic chain of love and sympathy 
was complete. His rhetoric was the 
best ; he was eloquent. His lips were 
touched with fire, and his words 
thrilled and swayed his listeners as 
the wind sways the heavy heads in 
a field of ripe barley. The hearts of 
his listeners were an instrument, on 
which he played the noblest, most in- 
spiring, the sweetest of melodies. He 
kindled them as a flame kindles dry 
grass. He showed their future with 
a prophet’s eye and touched them 
with the glad diviner’s rapture. For 
an hour he held them spellbound, 
and when the closing sentence had 
left fiis lips the crowd made a rush to 
him to shake his hand. 


200 


His Beautiful Life 


“It was glorious, it was grand!” 
Maude said to Donald as they drove 
home. “What you have said to-night 
has placed an impression upon my 
heart that time can never erase.” 

When they reached her home and 
the time came to say good-bye it sent 
a pang to each heart. 

Taking her hand in his, with a 
face that seemed strangely pale and 
white in the light of the pale moon, 
Donald said : “Maude, in the two 
long years that I shall be away I 
hope you will not forget jne. I shall 
write to you and will expect to hear 
from you often. Pray that I may 
come back safe and sound in two 
years, with my desire fulfilled; that 
I may become a better boy while I 
am away, and that when I come back 
I may be a true and perfect man.” 

“I shall not forget you, Donald,” 
she said softly, “and I want you to 
pray for me while you are away. Ev- 
ery night in prayer I will meet you 

201 


His Beautiful Life 


and will pray to the God of your des- 
tiny to keep you safely while you are 
away.” 

He squeezed her hand and with a 
low good-bye turned on his heel, 
vaulted into his buggy and vanished 
into the shadows of the night. 

* ****** * 

Donald had been at college a week. 

The novelty and newness of the 
place was wearing away and he had 
easily fallen into the daily routine of 
college life. 

He secured a boarding place with 
a widowed lady, who was quiet and 
a devoted Christian, and this was a 
delight to him. 

Her husband having been a law- 
yer, he found a large, private library 
containing books on many subjects, 
and to it he had free access. 

The president and teachers of the 
college were impressed from the first 
by his quiet, dignified manner, al- 
though they could not tell at first 

202 


His Beautiful Life 


what it was that had drawn them so 
close to what seemed to them to be 
the very heart life of Donald. 

The president had had a long talk 
with Donald a few days after he 
arrived, and to the faculty he said: 
“We have a wonderful student in 
our number to begin with. He is 
quiet, gentle and unassuming. He 
i^akes no pretensions as to what he 
knows, yet he has one of the most 
comprehensive minds I have ever 
found in a young man of his age.” 

The college was distinctly reli- 
gious, the religious influence being 
felt, rather than proclaimed. 

Donald always attended chapel 
service, for he felt it was as necessa- 
ry for him during the day as was 
his breakfast to sustain his body. 

He took special interest in all re- 
ligious meetings as the opportunity 
presented, and the Christian people 
soon became interested in him. He 
kept his studies well up, and by the 

203 


His Beautiful Life 


close of the first year he far sur- 
passed those of his classes. 

But he did not confine himself to 
class studies. Night after night, 
when all others were sleeping, the 
light was still brightly shining in his 
room. He was searching for truth 
and knowledge, and he explored ev- 
ery field to find it. His views were 
firmly fixed on the teachings of the 
Bible. He did not think it possible 
for him to be mistaken in that par- 
ticular, yet he was open to convic- 
tion. 

Deeper and deeper, he dug into 
its mystery, and at last, toward the 
close of the second year, when he 
received God’s call to go forth to the 
ministry of His Son, he felt that his 
views were correct and that he had 
solved the mysteries of the Bible that 
had, for so long a time, baffled him. 


204 


CHAPTER XX. 


HOME AGAIN. 

It was the last evening Donald 
would be at college. Two years 
have passed quickly away; he was 
graduated and to-morrow he will 
start for home. 

This evening of which we write he 
was sitting at the window of his 
room looking at the gorgeous south- 
ern sunset. 

As he watched the beautiful scene 
spread out before him, the thought 
of what he had accomplished since 
coming here came into his mind. 

His education was completed ; God 
had undoubtedly called him to His 
service, and now he was ready to en- 
ter into his life-work. 

He was contented and happy at 
last and his heart was filled with joy 
as he looked about him. The deep 
blue of the sky was relieved by drift- 

205 


His Beautiful Life 


ii:g masses of fleecy, white clouds, 
the grass and trees sparkled below 
with myriads of crystal drops lately 
fallen from their snowy grasp, while 
the sun, whose glowing light made 
a flashing jewel of each drop, shone 
as fair as the first faces in the garden 
of Eden. The whole western sky 
was tinted with every hue, from rich 
crimson and purple to rosy pink or 
soft yellow. 

The clouds, high overhead, rapid- 
ly changed to pale yellow, then grew 
deeper and deeper until they looked 
like molten gold against the blue sky 
beyond. Donald loved rich colors 
and drank this in eagerly. Surely 
nothing, not even * the garden of 
Eden, could have been more perfect ! 
As he gazed he noticed a dark cloud 
floating around from the north, 
which, in his imagination, presented 
a striking resemblance to an im- 
mense serpent, coiled round and 
rc und in dark, angry folds, ready to 

206 


His Beautiful Life 


crush all joy that came into its 
reach. 

It drifted slowly to the west, blot- 
ting all the glorious color from the 
sky. The clouds blanched to a snowy 
whiteness, the sky seemed less blue, 
and the glittering jewels on blade 
*and leaf turned to tears, which na- 
ture might have shed over the fall of 
her human children. 

He waited impatiently for the 
passing of the serpent. It drifted 
slowly southward, but the perfection 
of the sunset was lost with it. The 
sun hid its red face behind the trees, 
the gorgeous coloring faded, and the 
sky grew gray in the cool, pleasant 
twilight. 

Soon the stars came out here and 
there in the darkened sky, giving 
light as best they could, like the 
prophets of old. 

By and by a soft light diffused the 
darkness, growing brighter and 
brighter, until the silvery moon 

207 


His Beautiful Life 


showed its serene face over neigh- 
boring roof, and completed the fan- 
cy, typifying the coming of the Son 
of God. 

As the soft moonbeams fell upon 
the city he turned his gaze from the 
sky to the earth. 

The golden moonlight mellowed 
every object, and not even the gor- 
geous pictures of Persian poets sur- 
passed the beautiful scene he looked 
upon. The white, graveled walks 
were bordered with low, closely- 
clipped cassia hedges ; clusters of 
white and rose oleanders, scarlet 
geraniums, roses of countless hues, 
and patches of brilliant annuals, all 
looked up smilingly at him. 

Just beneath the window the clasp- 
ing tendrils of a clematis were 
wound about the pedestal of a marble 
Flora, and clusters of the purple 
blossoms peeped through the fingers 
of the goddess. Farther off, a foun- 
tain flashed silver in the moonlight, 

208 


His Beautiful Life 


murmuring musically in and out of 
the reservoir, while the diamond 
spray bathed the sculptured limbs of 
a Venus. 

As he sat there, inhaling the sweet 
aroma of the flowers, looking upon 
the grandeur of God in nature, his 
mind filled with visions of the past 
and trying to rend the veil and look 
beyond the Stygian river into the fu- 
ture, he said to himself: “I know 
now that a God who created a world 
so beautiful as this and gave it to 
His creatures surely designed their 
happiness, not only in this world, 
but in that vast, boundless eternity 
which He inhabits. 

“I feel to-night, as I sit here and 
look out upon this beautiful scene, 
that God is speaking to me as never 
before of human existence and its 
frailty and short durability. 

“I feel that nature in all her glory 
whispers that we are allied to divine 
beauty. But because of the first sin, 

209 


His Beautiful Life 


which marred the first home and 
made its inmates suffer, God in His 
goodness must carry us through the 
furnace of suffering to prepare us 
for the beautiful, redeemed life, 
when dissolution shall carry us from 
here, and we are freed from all pain.” 

Far into the night he sat thus, with 
the golden moonlight resting upon 
him, and when at last, tired and 
mind-weary, he threw himself in bed, 
and with the blessed promise of the 
Master, “I am the light of the world ; 
he that followeth me shall not walk 
in darkness, but shall have the light 
of life,” ringing in his ears, he fell 
into a peaceful sleep. 

In the two years that Donald had 
been away from home many changes 
had taken place. The old church 
that Donald knew had been removed 
and a handsome new structure had 
been erected; several of his friends 
had moved away, others were mar- 
ried and settled down for life, but 

210 


His Beautiful Life 


for all these changes, and many oth- 
ers, the memory of Donald Morris, 
with all his influence, had never been 
erased from their minds. 

And now, when the news spread 
over the neighborhood that he had 
returned from college a Methodist 
preacher, there was great rejoicing. 

A week after his return home he 
was licensed to preach the gospel of 
the Son of God and he had entered 
into the ministry; his prophecy of 
his future was thus fulfilled, and now 
his life-work was before him. 

The first Sunday after his return 
he attended church and his pastor 
asked him to preach for him at the 
evening hour. He reluctantly con- 
sented, and the pastor announced 
that at the evening service young 
Brother Morris would fill the pulpit, 
and there was joy in the congrega- 
tion. 

Here was a young man who had 
drawn them to him by his simplicity, 

211 


His Beautiful Life 


by his candor, his consecration, and 
that indescribable something- that 
was always about him which no one 
seemed to understand, but that mov- 
ed and touched people as soon as 
they began talking to him. 

Now they felt an interest in him; 
they had prayed God first to lead 
him into the light, then into the 
church, and, last, into the ministry, 
and now it seemed that their prayers 
were to be realized before their eyes, 
and it created an interest in their 
souls that made the time seem long 
before they could sit before him and 
Jisten to his voice telling the story 
of Jesus and His love. 

The hour approached and the 
church was soon filled to its utmost 
capacity, and indeed many could not 
get inside at all. 

When Donald walked down the 
aisle with Maude Massey, it was a 
very happy moment for her. This 
was the hour she had long prayed 

212 


His Beautiful Life 


and hoped for, and now that she was 
to sit and listen to the one preach 
whom she loved, her heart was too 
full for utterance. 

As he stands in the pulpit hundreds 
of eyes are upon him, and the still- 
ness that comes from anxious hearts 
in waiting- pervades the audience. 
What did they see? Nothing but 
the same unassuming boy they had 
seen so often before — handsome, tall 
and pale, trembling because he knew 
the great responsibility of life was 
upon him. 

He looked over the congregation, 
his dark eyes, burning brightly, and 
announced his text: 

“God is love; and he that dwell- 
eth in love dwelleth in God, and God 
in him." — I John 4:16. 

“Do not,” said he “expect me to 
preach you a sermon entirely from the 
text. An humbler and more blessed 
task is mine. If I may, I will let 
the Lord Jesus Himself speak to you 

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through me in these words. May 
God grant that every soul here may 
become a Patmos, and this hour one 
in which the Living One shall reveal 
Himself with quickening and saving 
power. If all men were kings, love 
would be the king over all. If all 
women were queens, love would be 
the queen over all. Before love’s 
throne wealth comes and offers its 
treasures of jewels and gold. Be- 
cause of love, the cold prison walls 
are chiseled down by art and dumb 
beauty comes forth into the sunlight 
of day. The knee of labor is bent 
and the drops of blood upon the bat- 
tlefield are counted in order to place 
the flower upon the brow of love. 
Love is the one despot in this world 
whose tyranny all nations have al- 
lowed in sweetest satisfaction. Love 
peoples continents after thought dis- 
covers them ; thought builds homes, 
but it takes love to fill them with 
happiness and sunshine. 

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‘‘The rich man with his millions is 
not happy because he is destitute of 
love, while the stalwart, sun-burned 
farmer who comes home at night and 
feels his children’s arms around 
his neck and their kisses upon his 
cheek is happy because in his heart 
there is that love that conquereth all 
things. Love is the remedy for all 
doubts, the foe of all darkness, and 
the enemy of sin. When love takes 
possession of the heart, there is peace 
and joy and strength in that heart and 
life. This tells us the secret of God’s 
love. I cannot describe it; no man 
so far as I know ever did; but we 
know that ‘God so loved the world 
that He gave His only begotten Son, 
that whosoever believed in Him 
should not perish, but have everlast- 
ing life.’ I know there is no real 
happiness in, this world to those who 
have not come under the ban of His 
love and who do not trust Him for 
salvation ; that there is no salvation 

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His Beautiful Life 


without love, and there is no love 
outside of God, so there is no Chris- 
tianity for those who do not love 
Him.” 

Thus he went on, telling the sweet 
story of God’s love. Yes, they had 
heard it before, but did wish that 
night that he would tell it over and 
over; their souls were feasting upon 
it ; the fountains seemed to be open- 
ed afresh and they were drinking the 
water of life. The old, old story had 
inspired them with new faith, and 
on its wings they were rising to the 
delectable mountains of holiness and 
bathing themselves in an atmosphere 
hitherto unknown to them. 

That night many of them learned 
the secret of this young man’s life; 
that indefinable something which 
they could never explain. He always 
had a power about him which time 
and again astonished those with 
whom he came in contact. 


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His Beautiful Life 


Standing before them, preaching 
his first sermon, they learned the 
greatness of the boy was the love of 
God that filled his soul. His pastor 
said to him after service: “Of all 
things that abidest in thy heart the 
greatest is love.” 

Donald Morris returned home 
with Maude Massey, and she told 
him she never expected to be happier 
in this world than she was that night. 

“My being a Methodist does not, 
then, prevent you from enjoying a 
sermon from an old friend?” he in- 
quired. She looked at him and writ- 
ten on her face he learned the secret 
that she had concealed from him 
during the years gone by, and al- 
though he had not intended telling 
her of his love that evening, yet he 
could not longer keep his secret. 

His whole soul seemed illumined 
by the light that her look gave him, 
and he said : “Many of our days 
have been sweetly spent together in 

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His Beautiful Life 


search of the beautiful redeemed life ; 
the time we have been separated has 
been made sweeter by the memories 
that cluster around the past and the 
hope of the future, when we would 
meet again, and it beckoned us on to 
higher and nobler things in life. I 
must tell you, Maude, that during 
these years of toil and struggle for 
an education, to prepare me for the 
duties of life, you have been the 
earthly idol of my heart. I have left 
it all with God; I have asked Him 
to prepare you to share with me the 
sorrows and whatever earthly joys 
might fall to me as a minister. I 
offer you my love, my life, my all, 
dedicated to the service of God. Will 
you give me yours and be my wife ?” 

She put her hand in his and said : 
“Donald, my love you have had for 
years and no other has occupied a 
moment of time in my heart. When 
I received your letter saying you had 
entered the ministry, I knelt and 

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asked God to make me worthy to be 
your helper in life, for I have always 
felt that He linked our lives' togeth- 
er. It must be right or He would 
not put it there. I am yours to share 
with you all that God calls us to do 
your joys and your sorrows. I thank 
God for such an humble and blessed 
lot in life!” 


219 


CHAPTER XXI. 

THE PROPHECY FULFILLED. 

Soon Donald received a call from 
-an Eastern state, but declined, saying 
that his first duty was to the people 
with whom he lived and had been 
associated so long. 

The people have awakened to a 
sense of their spiritual needs; this 
boy’s sermon has stirred the depth of 
their souls, and they are insistent in 
their demands that he hold a meet- 
ing at the church where he was con- 
verted and gave his life to God. 

Five years have passed away since 
that memorable night when Donald 
gave up the life of sin and began his 
work for Christ. 

He complied with the wishes of 
the people, and one of the biggest 
revivals in the history of the church 
is in progress. Now in that same 
church he is conducting a meeting, 

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His Beautiful Life 


and the whole country is under the 
power of his simple gospel preach- 
ing. 

The hearts of the people are stir- 
red to their depths, and men hoary 
with age, who have lived in sin all 
their lives, are at the throne of mer- 
cy seeking the salvation of their 
souls. Boys who went to school with 
him, his pupils of former days, old 
men and many others are there to 
hear the story of the cross from the 
lips of the boy they had learned to 
love so well. 

The house will not hold the people, 
and the whole country has united in 
preparing an arbor in the grove that 
they may hear him. 

Day after day he stands there with 
his beloved Bible in his hand, point- 
ing out the way of the beautiful re- 
deemed life through Jesus Christ. 

Scores give up the old life of sin 
with its master and seek the new 
life through a risen Savior. It is a 

221 


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great time for Donald. It is the 
the old-time Pentecost, 

“When heaven comes down their souls 
to greet. 

And glory crowns the mercy seat.” 

As yet no one knows anything 
about the engagement between Don- 
ald and Maude Massey, and one day 
while the meeting was in progress 
he told her that he would speak to 
her parents about it right away, and 
she told him that whenever he want- 
ed her she was ready to enter his life- 
work and that she was only waiting 
for his call. 

Her parents did not know posi- 
tively of the relation between them, 
but for more than two years her in- 
difference to others who sought her 
hand led them to believe that her 
heart had been given to Donald. 

The next evening he called on her 
parents and to them he revealed his 
wish. Said he: “For several years 
I have loved your daughter and she 

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has returned my love and has agreed 
to share with me my life-work. I 
know I am not worthy of her, but 
if you will give me your daughter as 
a companion and helper in my work, 
I shall do my best to make her hap- 

py*” 

Mr. Massey said to him : “It is a 
very hard thing for a father and 
mother to give up a daughter, but 
since we know we cannot keep her 
with us always, and that some time 
she will marry, there is not a man on 
earth whom we had rather trust her 
with than you, Donald. Since it 
must be of God, you have our con- 
consent, and may the blessings of an 
Almighty Father rest upon you and 
our child in your life-work.” 

They asked him how early he 
wished to be married and he replied 
that, if it suited them, he would like 
an early marriage; so Maude was 
called in, and it was decided that they 
.should get married in two months. 

223 


His Beautiful Life 


As soon as the meeting at that 
place closed, an urgent call came 
from a town ten miles distant for 
Donald to come and hold a meeting 
there. 

The Baptist people offered him the 
use of their house and begged him to 
come. 

The pastor said : “It seems to be 
the leading of the divine Spirit 
among the people, and if so, it is 
right to heed the call. So we tender 
you our house of worship to conduct 
a meeting so long as you deem it 
good for the cause of the Master.” 

Donald thanked him kindly and 
said he would accept the invitation 
on one condition, that he must be 
allowed to preach just as he would 
in a Methodist church. Said he : “I 
do not intend to wage war against 
the Baptist, Presbyterian or any oth- 
er denomination. I would rather we 
,were united in one church ; I have 
nothing whatever against your 

224 


His Beautiful Life 


church, but in some things we hon- 
estly differ, and I want it understood 
that I am preaching what I believe 
the Bible teaches, and I shall leave 
the result with God.” 

The pastor replied : “I know you 
are too honest to do anything else, so 
you are at liberty to preach anything 
you want to, for I feel sure the Spirit 
of our Master will be your guide.” 

The meeting soon began, and from 
the first the interest of the people was 
very great. 

All the Christian people took part 
in the meeting, and every one seemed 
to enjoy themselves immensely, for 
sometime before Donald would ar- 
rive the people would be singing and 
shouting God’s praise. 

The Baptist pastor never missed 
a service; not that he could endorse 
everything Donald preached in re- 
gard to obedience to the commands 
of Christ, but he was rejoicing in the 
fact that a wonderful spiritual uplift 

225 


His Beautiful Life 


had come to him and his people 
through the wonderful power of this 
young minister. 

One day after the close of the 
meeting, and when Donald was at 
the home of Maude Massey, Maude 
came and sat down by him and said : 
“Donald, do you think God will bless 
our union? Sometimes that question 
enters my mind when I remember 
that we do not belong to the same 
church, and it seems you are so much 
better than I.” 

He took her hand in his and re- 
plied : “I feel sure our union will be 
with the sanction of God. Because 
we belong to different churches is no 
reason why we should not be happy 
or serve God diligently.” 

“But would you not rather I be- 
longed to your church?” she asked. 

“Yes, Maude ; of course, it would 
be more pleasant for us in our church 
work if we belonged to the same 
church, but I would not persuade you 

226 


His Beautiful Life 


to join my church just to please me, 
but if you could unite with our 
church, honestly believing it was the 
right one, I would be glad. I can 
only tell you what we believe the 
Bible teaches, and why we believe it, 
and leave you to decide for yourself.” 

“Donald, I honor you for what 
you have said, and I feel sure if God 
wishes me to unite with your church 
He will manifest His will unto me.” 

For the reader’s benefit we will 
state that about a year after their 
marriage she united with his church, 
and then their happiness was com- 
plete. 

Their marriage was a very quiet 
one, although many of their friends 
were present and wished them many 
years of happy and useful life. 

It was a marriage of the heavenly 
kind, a marriage after the divine or- 
der. 

It seemed that if ever the words, 
“Therefore shall a man leave his 

227 


His Beautiful Life 


father and mother and cleave unto 
his own wife, and they shall twain be 
one flesh;” and, “Therefore, what 
God hath joined together, let no man 
put asunder,” were true, it was so 
in the case of Donald Morris and 
Maude Massey. 

* ****** * 

And now, dear reader, we must 
leave them. 

We have followed Donald Morris 
from his childhood to the fulfillment 
of his prophecy of his life ; we have 
seen him grow up in the grace and fa- 
vor of God ; we have noted the gentle, 
refining, Christian influence he cast 
upon all with whom he came in con- 
tact, and have seen his life united 
with that of a gentle, Christian girl 
and both lives dedicated in the ser- 
vice of God. 

If you like the character of Don- 
ald Morris, if you would enjoy the 
peace and happiness that character- 
izes his life, let me ask you, in all 

228 


His Beautiful Life 


earnestness, to follow in the footsteps 
of the blessed Man of Galilee as he 
did, and you will learn the beautiful 
secret of his life. 

May I humbly ask my reader to 
study closely the next chapter. It is 
a sermon on “Paradise Lost and Re- 
gained.” 


229 


CHAPTER XXII. 

PARADISE LOST AND REGAINED. 

Before our beautiful world was 
brought into existence by the com- 
mand of God, there was neither sun, 
moon, stars, nor living things; yet 
there was a heavenly host, and the 
King of Kings sat on His great white 
throne and received the praises of 
those radiant beings, the cherubim 
and seraphim, who, after the cre- 
ation, became messengers between 
God and man and guardians at the 
gates of paradise. 

The Bible does not tell us much 
about the angels that were born in 
the Celestial City, nor of God, be- 
fore the world was fashioned by His 
mighty hand, but is briefly a record 
of the works of the Almighty and 
His relation to mankind as the Fath- 
er of all. 


230 


His Beautiful Life 


The beginning of God’s labor was 
the creation of the earth, of the 
heaven, which was the air, or atmos- 
phere, round about the earth, for 
heaven itself already existed. We 
still call the blue vault overhead, 
studded with the bright constellation 
of stars, the heaven, and it was this 
heaven, in contradistinction from 
that which is the abode of God, that 
is referred to by Moses. 

The earth was without form and 
covered in darkness, until by divine 
command the sun, moon and stars 
burst into being and cast their first 
light upon the new world. The dark- 
ness was separated from the light, 
so at appointed times the earth 
should be bathed with the sun’s gold- 
en rays, and again be covered with 
darkness. 

The waters were divided and the 
dry land appeared, and in the latter 
was planted the seed of every grass, 
tree and herb, which was made to 
231 


His Beautiful Life 


spring up and yield their fruit to 
bless the earth, and the creatures 
which were to be speedily brought 
into being. 

The waters teemed with fishes of 
every species, and fowls were made 
to fly in the air; then followed the 
creation of all manner of cattle and 
beast, so that on the last day of God’s 
labor the earth teemed with life, both 
great and small. 

Let us here draw a vivid picture 
of this beautiful Paradise God cre- 
ated and gave to man. 

I think this paradisical home must 
have been the dream of God, glowing 
with ineffable beauty. I think it was 
rimmed with blue mountains, from 
whose moss-covered cliffs leaped a 
thousand streams that spread out in 
mid-air like silvery bridal veils, kiss- 
ing a thousand rainbows from the 
sun. 

It was a gorgeous archipelago of 
many colors, flecked with green isles, 

232 


His Beautiful Life 


where the purple grapes hung in rich 
clusters on staggering vines, where 
peach and plum and blood-red cher- 
ries and every kind of berry bent 
bough and bush, and shone like drops 
of ruby and pearl. 

It was a wilderness of flowers, red- 
olent of eternal spring and pulsing 
with bird song ; where spotted fawns 
played in the meadow of violets; 
where leopards, peaceful and tame, 
lounged in the copse of the magno- 
lias; where harmless tigers lay on 
snowy beds of lilies, and lions panted 
in the jungles of roses. 

The billowy landscape was fes- 
tooned with laughing creepers, 
bright with perennial bloom and cur- 
tained with sweet-scented groves. 

The air was softened with the 
dreamy haze of perpetual summer, 
and through its midst flowed four 
translucent rivers, alternately flash- 
ing in the sunlight and darkening in 
the shadows, and there, in some 

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sweet bower, was Adam, fresh from 
tlie hand of his Creator — Adam, the 
first of the human race; God-like in 
form and in the attribute of mind and 
soul. 

All Eden was imbued with the 
sweet spirit of love, for God ruled 
there, and God is love. 

As we strain our gaze back into 
the shadow of the world’s earliest 
history, there we behold one dim 
figure, and through the shadows and 
mist that enwrap his form, we catch 
a gleam of his crown. 

Adam, the first man, stands in 
Eden a king; but, alas! he trans- 
gressed God’s holy law, and as a pun- 
ishment he lost the majesty of man- 
hood; he had his kingdom wrested 
from him in the very beginning of 
his reign and was driven from his 
beautiful palace in disgrace. 

The pathos of that loss has 
freighted the air all down through 
'the ages with its tremulous sadness. 

234 


His Beautiful Life 


Thus the home, the dreamland, the 
Paradise which God voluntarily gave 
man was, by man’s vileness and sin, 
taken from him, and by Adam’s sin, 
then, all men are lost and have no 
power to reinstate themselves in 
God’s favor. 

It was Paradise Lost; gone, with 
all its beauty and grandeur; gone 
as a prophecy that all men are utter- 
ly lost. Was it irretrievably gone, 
never to be regained? Was there no 
way by which man could bring him- 
self again into favor with God and 
regain the majesty he had lost? Let 
'us see. 

For six thousand years the earth 
was without a king; men wandered 
over the face of the earth, transgress- 
ing’s God’s law and adding fresh sor- 
row to the sorrow caused by Adam’s 
sin. 

But there was to be another King. 
The promise of the still merciful God 
made sure the fact, and that promise 

235 


His Beautiful Life 


spread angel wings over the fall of 
man, and shed upon it the light of 
an angel’s face. 

Human eyes were directed to the 
future. 

The story that God would send a 
King to redeem men grew with 
passing centuries; the longing for 
His appearance grew more and more 
intense, yet He tarried. 

There was no sign from the heav- 
en; no sound of chariot wheels dis- 
turbed the serenity of sky. Many na- 
tions rose and were buried in obliv- 
ion ; varied changes occurred among 
the people of the earth. 

Four millenniums came and 
went, yet the King refused to emerge 
from His hiding place and show 
Himself to the worn and weary 
world. 

At last the long, long silence was 
broken by a burst of angelic music 
from the cloud galleries over the lit- 
tle village of Bethlehem of Judea; 

236 


His Beautiful Life 


and the stars of the Syrian heavens, 
flashing from their heights, beheld 
a new orb rolling in beauty among 
them. 

Christ was born ! The King had 
come! A man child He was, with a 
human mother, but conceived by the 
powers of divinity. In the veins of 
His body the royal blood of earth 
coursed ; His soul was charged with 
the royalty of God. He was the 
King, “the chiefest among ten thou- 
sand.” 

For thirty-three years He lived on 
this earth, fulfilling the Father’s 
promise and setting forth a way for 
the salvation of man. 

During this time His character 
was unsullied. It was subjected to 
every test. 

From Bethlehem to Calvary, from 
His birth to His dying hour, His life 
dared men to find a flaw in it. He 
was like a lily growing to the light 
out of the ooze and slime of the 


237 


His Beautiful Life 


swamp; His life was like a sunbeam 
falling upon the filth of the street. 

Amid all the corruption that sur- 
rounded, He passed through a period 
of thirty-three years existence with- 
out a stain. 

His life was the perfect flower of 
humanity, and the fragrance of its 
bloom has filled the centuries with 
its aroma. 

This man was the King of men 
and His royalty has been acknowl- 
edged by millions of lips. 

Christ, the Son of God, who was 
above the law, was made flesh under 
the law, so that being both human 
and divine, He could meet the de- 
mands of the law on one hand, satisfy 
its claims, take man’s place on the 
other hand, suffer all its penalty as 
man’s substitute and make it possible 
for God to be just in justifying the 
sinner. He came into this world, 
took man’s place as a sinner under 
the law, suffered and died after He 

238 


His Beautiful Life 


met all its claims, and shed His blood 
to make an atonement for the sins 
of His people. 

He was buried; His body was in 
the grave three days ; He arose from 
the grave on the third day, securing 
through Himself the resurrection of 
our bodies, as well as securing the re- 
demption of the soul through His 
atoning blood. 

What does it all mean ? Why that 
cross and the shameful suffering? 
God was under no obligation to allow 
Himself to be suspended there. He 
could have prevented, had He so de- 
sired, that death of shame. 

Why, then, did He suffer and die ? 
There is but one answer. No other 
way in which to save man ; no other 
way by which Paradise might be re- 
gained ; it was ordained in the hands 
of a Mediator. 

Go spell out the story for yourself. 
From the disrobing of heaven to the 
long, humiliating step in human 

239 


His Beautiful Life 


flesh; from the lowly birth to the 
last throbbing pain beneath the 
crown of thorns and the last anguish 
under the spike-heads that pinioned 
Him to the cross, and the last cry 
that broke His heart under the bur- 
den of the world’s sin — it was love! 
love ! love ! 

Can you look upon that cross, 
think of the sufferings He bore that 
you might regain Paradise, and turn 
away without accepting Christ as 
your Savior? 

If you can, your heart must be a 
heart of stone and waiting for the 
thunder blows of judgment to sound 
upon it and smite it with remorse. 

My countrymen, it cannot be that 
the earth is man’s only abiding place. 
It cannot be that our lives are bub- 
bles, cast up by the ocean of eterni- 
ty, to float another moment upon its 
surface, and then sink into nothing- 
ness and darkness forever. Else why 
is it that the high and glorious aspi- 

240 


His Beautiful Life 


rations which leap like angels from 
the temple of our hearts, are forever 
wandering abroad, unsatisfied ? Why 
is it that the rainbow and the cloud 
come over us with a beauty that is 
not of earth, and then pass off and 
leave us to muse on their faded 
loveliness ? Why is it the stars which 
hold their festival around the mid- 
night throne are set above the grasp 
of our limited faculties, and are for- 
ever' mocking us with their unap- 
proachable glory ? 

Finally, why is it that bright forms 
of human beauty are presented to 
view, then taken from us, leaving the 
streams of our affection to flow back 
in an Alpine torrent upon our hearts ? 

We are born for a higher destiny 
than the earth. There is a realm 
where the rainbow never fades; 
where the stars will be spread out be- 
fore us like the islands that slumber 
on the ocean, and where the beautiful 
things that pass here before us like 

241 


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visions will stay in our presence for- 
ever ! 

O, Eternity ! one glorious morning, 
with the sun ever climbing higher 
and higher ; one blessed spring-time, 
and yet richer summer — and Para- 
dise regained! 


THE END. 


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